Signing Recchi The Right Move

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It's not a huge splash, but the signing of Mark Recchi is a key move for the Boston Bruins.

With very little room to play with in terms of salary cap, thanks largely to the ridiculous contract given to the overrated Tim Thomas, the B's need to figure out how to piece things together. The Bruins had just over $5 million to dish out before the Recchi signing, meaning the money has to be spent in a very effective manner, getting the most they can for the least amount of money. A veteran with a solid postseason resume is a good place to start, even if he happens to be 41 years old.

Recchi was a major spark and possibly the second-best pick up made by a team at the trading deadline, the best being Bill Guerin by the eventual champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

Recchi added an element of experience that the talented young group lacked. He fits the Bruins' style of hockey, mixing skill with a little bit of the hard-nosed stuff. But Recchi's contributions didn't end solely in the locker room. He tallied 16 points - six goals, 10 assists - in 18 games with the Bruins after escaping hockey purgatory in Tampa Bay. He followed that up with three goals and three assists in 11 playoff games.

He's no savior. In fact, he's not likely to see much time outside of the third line unless someone gets hurt. But he fills a key roll at a reasonable price, and that's what the Bruins need more than anything.

Taking Out The Garbage

By buying out the last year of Peter Schaefer's contract, the Bruins have gotten themselves out from under a big mistake.

Schaefer was due to make over 2 million next season, despite not playing a game at hockey's top level last year. In a time when money is tight, cutting the dead weight is a huge necessity.

Schaefer was a huge disappointment for the Bruins, who signed him before the 2007-08 season. That year he recorded just 26 points, including a mere nine goals, despite playing with a playmaker like Marc Savard for most of the season.

His best year came in his rookie campaign when he had 50 points - 20 goals, 30 assists - for Ottowa and had a plus-16 plus/minus. His numbers regressed each year since unt

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il the Bruins felt he wasn't worth a roster spot this season.

Putting On The Bitz

The signing of Byron Bitz may have some scratching their heads, but Bitz once again is a cheap player that fills a key role. A big man who can throw his weight around on the fourth line, Bitz also had surprizingly soft hands with the puck and could provide a little bit of a scoring punch that was lacking from that line.

Shawn Thornton is clearly the enforcer on the line, but really was not able to do much with the puck on his stick and could stand to lose time because of the move. He led the team with 17 fighting majors and was tied for ninth in the league in that category, but he had just 11 points and just one in the playoffs during the 2008-09 season.