Kessel gets early start for Bruins

WILMINGTON -- He admitted feeling tired from traveling from Wisconsin the previous day, but during yesterday's informal skate at Ristuccia Arena, Phil Kessel didn't let fatigue hinder his skating.

The 18-year-old rookie, who would have been a sophomore at the University of Minnesota this year, arrived in Massachusetts Monday and took to the Wilmington ice yesterday morning. Kessel turned pro Aug. 16 when he signed a three-year maximum-salary deal with the Bruins ($850,000 per season, plus performance bonuses).

``It's pretty cool," Kessel said of being in pro camp. ``It's a little weird but I'm just going to see what happens."

Kessel, who will wear No. 81 in camp, according to media relations manager Ryan Nadeau, looked as fast as advertised. The right-shooting forward is a candidate for the left wing position on the team's second line alongside Marc Savard and Glen Murray.

Kessel joined a group of veterans who started skating Monday, led by defenseman Zdeno Chara, who looked intimidating in his all-black outfit (other skaters wore white-and-gold jerseys above their black pants). Other players included Brad Boyes, Wayne Primeau, Brad Stuart, Paul Mara, Jay Leach, Bobby Allen, Martins Karsums, Tim Thomas, and Hannu Toivonen.

``I heard he was running things a little bit," said general manager Peter Chiarelli of Chara. ``That's who he is. He has a lot of leadership characteristics. It doesn't surprise me that he's taking charge. Then again, he's only dropping pucks and doing a few drills, so I wouldn't read too much into it."

Chiarelli shot down a rumor floated in Saturday's Ottawa Sun that had the Bruins swapping left wing P.J. Axelsson to the Senators, possibly for defenseman Anton Volchenkov.

``There's been no discussion," Chiarelli said. ``There's no activity there."

Axelsson is friends with Daniel Alfredsson and plays on a line with the Ottawa captain during international competition. There had been rumors last season about the Senators pursuing Axelsson in preparation for their playoff run. But the left wing, coming off a gold medal win in Turin, injured his left knee March 1 and was shut down for the rest of the year.

Any trade involving Axelsson, 31, would require his approval. Axelsson has a clause in his contract that lists 10-15 teams to which he can be traded. Last March, Axelsson signed a three-year extension worth $1.85 million annually. Axelsson is expecting to close on a new home in Boston in the next few weeks.

Chiarelli projected that newly signed forward T.J. Trevelyan, who led the ECACHL in scoring with 20 goals and 28 assists as a senior last year at St. Lawrence, will be a productive AHL player in 2006-07. ``He had a very good year as an offensive player," Chiarelli said of the 22-year-old. ``We expect him to be in Providence. A player of his skill and skating usually comes through by the middle of the season. It's a big jump for first-year pros, but we certainly expect him to be at that level sometime. Maybe not right away, but hopefully before Christmas." . . . Defenseman David Tanabe, who parted ways with the Bruins after the club walked away from his $1.275 million arbitration award, signed with the Carolina Hurricanes yesterday. Tanabe, originally drafted by Carolina, signed a one-year deal worth $900,000, a pay cut from the $950,000 he earned in 2005-06. ``The addition of David strengthens our defense," Carolina GM Jim Rutherford said in a statement. ``His skating and style of play fit well with our team's up-tempo system and the way the NHL game is played today."

Toivonen, who wore the gray Suomi sweater of his native Finland yesterday, will leave for Chicago at the end of the week, along with Thomas. The two goalies, who are represented by Chicago-based agent Bill Zito, will participate in a weeklong camp at the facility of the Chicago Wolves (AHL). They will be joined by approximately 30 other clients of Acme Sports, Zito's agency. Other players include New Jersey's John Madden and Brian Rafalski and Chicago's Tuomo Ruutu . . . Mara, who has season tickets on the third base line at Fenway, said he'll offer his seats to Boyes and Primeau for this weekend's games against the Toronto Blue Jays. ``But if [Roy ] Halladay or A.J. Burnett are pitching," said Mara, ``I might go."