Bonus cushion's effect

Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said that because of the elimination of the 7.5 percent bonus cushion, the loss of the additional $4,252,500 affected his roster-building decisions.

"It certainly has," Chiarelli said. "But those are the rules we're playing with this year. It might have saved a job or two. But I look at it as you've got to ice the best team possible. That's what we're doing here."