The Future Is Official: Bruins Sign Seguin To Deal

The Boston Bruins have officially agreed to terms on a contract with Tyler Seguin.

When the B’s accepted the arbitration award given to Blake Wheeler for a year at 2.2 million dollars, there was just one player that could majorly impact the 2010-’11 club that remained on the list of unsigned Bruins. Consider that list finish with the inking of second overall pick Tyler Seguin to a three-year entry-level deal today.

Taken by the Bruins within seconds of the clock starting for Boston in this past year’s draft, the 18-year old Seguin posted 173 points in 124 career games for the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League before coming to Boston for the Bruins’ annual rookie training and development camp.

Wowing the record-high crowds in the stands on every shift and drill throughout the week, the 18-year old spoke like a seasoned veteran time and time again with his adamant stance that he’s going to work and try to make the team, refusing to believe/indulge in the thought that he was a lock for the NHL in 2010.

However, pin it on a barren free-agent market, cap-space, or just his skill alone, Seguin will in fact be lacing up for the club on Causeway St this winter. Signing a three-year deal worth a potential 3.75 million dollars if Seguin meets his bonuses but will come with a base-salary of a reported 900,000 dollars, the hoopla in Boston besides apart from the obvious hype that comes with Seguin’s arrival.

Just how does Seguin fit into the cap-strung Bruins’ plans?

For now the Boston Bruins will be all set heading into the season with Marco Sturm‘s expected placement on the long-term injured-reserve while he recovers until at least late November from a torn ACL suffered in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, freeing up his 3.5 million dollar salary off the Bruins’ book until his return. Until then, the Boston Bruins must be hoping from a hot-start from either Michael Ryder or Tim Thomas to open up some trade possibilities come December.

But now with Seguin officially in the fold, the Boston Bruins’ opening-night line-up seems ready to go with the top-line featuring the rebounding Milan Lucic along with Marc Savard and newly-acquired Nathan Horton. It also seems likely that the Bruins will feature Seguin on the wing for center David Krejci and perhaps Michael Ryder on the right-side while the third line is expected to consist of Wheeler, Patrice Bergeron, and the 42-year old Mark Recchi. Also barring any moves the B’s will roll out a fourth line featuring penalty-killers Danny Paille and Gregory Campbell along with enforcer Shawn Thornton.

Things will certainly get interesting for the Bruins if an additional injury is to strike up front in the sense that with close to zero cap-space, the Bruins would be forced to call-up Adam McQuaid and potentially move Matt Hunwick to the forward position just to ice a full roster.

One thing’s for certain, you can’t say the Bruins aren’t already off to a fun start.

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