Bruins seeking assets for Kaberle's negotiating rights
There remains a possibility that Tomas Kaberle could re-sign with the Bruins after July 1. But with the Bruins putting Kaberle’s negotiating rights up for grabs, it’s clear the two sides do not agree on a term and number for a Black-and-Gold extension.
If they succeed in trading Kaberle’s negotiating rights, the Bruins could land a low-level pick. Yesterday, Vancouver acquired the Islanders’ 2012 fourth-rounder for Christian Ehrhoff’s rights.
Kaberle put up a 4-43–47 line during the regular season. In the playoffs, Kaberle submitted a 0-11–11 performance in 25 games.
However, the puck-moving defenseman ultimately settled into a third-pairing role with the Bruins. In Game 7, Kaberle logged just 9:14 of ice time. It is hardly the workload that merits an annual payday north of $3.5 million, the number Kaberle might receive on the open market from a team like Detroit.
The Bruins have enough cap space to give Kaberle the sum he desires. But it would be financially irresponsible to dedicate big bucks to a third-pairing defenseman, even if it’s offset by the bargain that is Adam McQuaid ($575,000 cap hit).
http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/bruins/extras/bruins_blog/2011/06/bruins_seeking_4.html