Bruins re-sign Toivonen
Hannu Toivonen, who would have been a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the season, re-signed with the Bruins yesterday.
Toivonen, currently backstopping the Providence Bruins in their first-round series against the Hartford Wolf Pack, signed a one-year deal worth $532,000, the salary he made this season.
"It's just important to let Hannu know that we have confidence in him," said general manager Peter Chiarelli. "We want him to know that he's going to be with our organization next year and this gives him some certainty. He's got a lot of positive attributes. He's got very good goaltending characteristics and traits. He's a guy that we're not going to give up on. That doesn't mean we know where he fits in, but he's a good goaltender."
The deal is a one-way contract, meaning Toivonen will earn $532,000 whether he's in the NHL or AHL. The Bruins have Toivonen and Tim Thomas under contract for next season.
"I don't know that it means anything, other than he can finish the playoffs knowing that he'll be playing in North America next season," said Bill Zito, Toivonen's agent.
Toivonen could have played pro hockey in Finland next season, a scenario that Chiarelli and Zito acknowledged was a possibility. Thomas, Minnesota's Niklas Backstrom, Columbus's Fredrik Norrena, and Tampa Bay's Johan Holmqvist are current NHL goalies with service time in Finland and Sweden.
"If you're a goalie and you need to reinvent yourself, you go there, then go right to the NHL," said Zito. "A number of guys are doing it. It was a very real possibility."
Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at FShinzawa@globe.com. 