Updated salary breakdown

With Dennis Wideman in the fold (four years, $15.5 million), here is the current salary grid detailing the annual cap hit of the 24 signed players currently contending for 2008-09 jobs in Boston:

Forwards

Marc Savard, $5 million
Patrice Bergeron, $4.75 million
Glen Murray, $4.15 million
Michael Ryder, $4 million
Marco Sturm, $3.5 million
Chuck Kobasew, $2.33 million
Phil Kessel, $2.2 million
Peter Schaefer, $2.1 million
P.J. Axelsson, $1.85 million
David Krejci, $883,000
Petteri Nokelainen, $850,000
Milan Lucic, $850,000
Vladimir Sobotka, $750,000
Shawn Thornton, $517,000
Jeremy Reich, $487,500

Defensemen

Zdeno Chara, $7.5 million
Dennis Wideman, $3.875 million
Aaron Ward, $2.5 million
Andrew Ference, $1.4 million
Mark Stuart, $1.3 million
Andrew Alberts, $1.25 million
Shane Hnidy, $757,000

* Matt Lashoff and Matt Hunwick will contend for NHL jobs next year. But for this model, their salaries are not included.

Goalies

Manny Fernandez, $4.33 million
Tim Thomas, $1.1 million

* Tuukka Rask will most likely spend another season in Providence.

Current cap hit: $58,236,666

Notes: The Bruins are $1,536,666 over the $56.7 million cap ceiling. They do not have to be below $56.7 million until the start of the regular season. They can exercise buyouts (the 48-hour window opens this weekend), trades, or minor-league assignments to dip below the cap. "One of the tools we have is the buyout, and that could be anybody," said GM Peter Chiarelli. "Another tool is a trade or sending players to the minors."

The Bruins, like every team, can carry a maximum of 23 players on the NHL roster during the regular season. Last season, Claude Julien liked having one spare forward and one extra defenseman, giving the Bruins 22 players.