PITTSBURGHTheres a new wrinkle in the Tim Thomas saga with the Boston Bruins.
According to Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli, the erstwhile Vezina Trophy winning goaltender has waived his no-movement clause and is allowing the Bruins to potentially trade him to anywhere in the NHL prior to July 1.
Chiarelli said that hes had more than a couple of interested teams call him inquiring about Thomas. Some are looking at his 5 million cap hit as an aid to rise up to the new salary cap floorwhatever it might be once the CBA is resolvedand others were simply attempting to measure Thomas interest in playing for them should they deal for him.
He has given me a complete waiver of his no-trade clause. He gave this to me a week-and-a-half ago. In that sense hes being cooperative if we do decide to trade him, said Chiarelli. It may not make much of a different because the no-trade clause is gone at the end of the month.
Theres a category of teams inquiring him for the cap floor, and then there have been a couple of teams inquiring on him if hes coming back. Im telling Thomas the same things that Ive been telling you guys. If you look at it its a 5 million cap hit that people wont have to pay. Based on that there is interest, but theres no rush to get him. But if theres more than one team interested then Id have to look at that.
Its not a monumental development because Thomas no-movement clause expired on July 1 anyway prior to the final year of his deal, but it continues to reinforce the notion that the goaltender doesnt want to play in Boston anyways should he return to the NHL.
Nearly 23 of NHL teams would be under the salary cap floor if it goes up to the 54 million level as it would under the current CBA fiscal environment, so there are a number of possible landing spots for Thomas ifwhen a deal is made.
Boston Bruins
The most logical and convenient for Thomas would be his now Colorado home with the Avalanche, but there are plenty of teams always on the lookout for quality goaltending or salary cap relief.