DAILY RUMORS: Rejection of the Bruins Trading Savard to the Kings

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As the summer of 2010 winds down and with training camps opening next month it appears the possibility of the Boston Bruins trading Marc Savard is growing more remote.

With a full “no-trade” clause in his contract which he’s reportedly only willing to waive for Toronto and Ottawa (who apparently have no interest or cap space to absorb his $4 million per season contract) Savard seems likely to return with the Bruins this coming season.

Still, he remains a fixture in the internet rumor mill.

“Eklund” of Hockeybuzz.com offers up the latest in a recent blog:

The Kings are still looking at Marc Savard. If Savard is moved, the Leafs could move Kaberle to Boston who are believed interested if they have the cap space for an extension.

Unless Savard decides to widen the number of teams he’d accept a trade to he’s not going to the Kings, whose management is more than fully aware of that fact.

As to the Leafs trading Kaberle to Boston, that ship sailed a long time ago. GM Brian Burke said he has no intention of asking Kaberle to waive his “no-trade” clause so unless the blueliner approaches Burke for a trade he won’t be moving this season.

If by chance the Bruins did somehow manage to trade Savard and then acquire Kaberle as Eklund envisions they’ll have to give up something decent to land him. Draft picks and prospects aren’t good enough as Burke made clear by not shipping out Kaberle for that kind of return prior to the latter’s ‘NTC’ going back into effect.

As for signing Kaberle to an extension, the Bruins priority is locking up Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron, who are unrestricted free agents next summer.

Assuming the Bruins lock up both to long-term, front-loaded deals providing them with a cap-friendly combined hit it will still probably push their cap hit for 2011-12 to nearly $48 million for 15 players.

Assuming also the cap makes another modest increase to, say, $62 million, that won’t leave enough for the Bruins to sign Kaberle to an extension and still leave enough to replace Michael Ryder (UFA), Mark Recchi (UFA), Marco Sturm (UFA) and to re-sign Mark Stuart (UFA), Blake Wheeler (RFA) and Matt Hunwick (RFA).

When taking those factors into consideration it doesn’t sound like a Savard trade to the Kings and an acquisition/extension of Kaberle is plausible.

Lyle Richardson

SpectorsHockey.net
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