NEWARK, NJWith the salary cap numbers in hand for the summer, the Bruins pulled the trigger on a couple of moves on Friday.
The club announced that theyd signed a three-year deal with versatile fourth-liner Daniel Paille worth 1.3 million annually, and a two-year deal with newly acquired forward Chris Bourque. The Bourque contract contains a two-way deal in year one that will most likely place him in the AHL with the Providence Bruins, but changes to a one-way deal in the 2013-14 season.
Bourques deal has an NHL value of 550,000 for both seasons and a salary of 200,000 at the AHL level next season.
Pailles contract is a slight raise from the 1.15 million salary he earned during the 2011-12 season, and a pretty clear indication that the ace penalty killer took less than he might have received on the open market to remain in Boston.
In his three seasons with the Bruins Paille has skated in 186 regular season games with 25 goals, 22 assists and 55 penalty minutes, and has appeared in 46 postseason games for Boston with nine points. The numbers dont really tell the tale with Paille, however, as the fourth liners biggest value is his skating speed, his tenacity and his toughness in all phases of the game while serving as a valued member of the penalty kill.
Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli still has plenty of work to do with Gregory Campbell, Chris Kelly, Mike Mottau, Greg Zanon, Tuukka Rask and Benoit Pouliot all approaching free agency on July 1 if theyre not resigned by the club. If those players are willing to take the same kind of club-friendly deal that Paille agreed to then the chances increase that someif not allcould be retained by the Black and Gold.
The Bruins will hold an afternoon conference call with Chiarelli and Paille to discuss the new deals, and perhaps shed some light on the Tim Thomas information leaking out over the last few days.