Confirmed with Link: Bruins re-sign Bartkowski 1yr, 1 way Deal

[8thRoundPick]

This gives PC some signed depth, and trading options. With only 5 d-men signed for next year, this assures he will have his 6 guys. If they end up signing Ference, I'd assume Bartkowski will be traded. If not, I think Ference is done in Boston.

 

[Fire Sweeney]

I'd feel ok about

Chara
Seidenberg
Hamilton
McQuaid
Bartkowski
Johnson
Krug


next year. Not great, but ok. Gives them some more wiggle room with some of the impending decisions with the forward group.

Only one-way a Stanley Cup contending team should be giving guys like Bartkowski is a one-way ticket to their AHL affiliate... not going to make it to the big show with this D squad.

 

[11MilesPerJohan]

Could Ference be heading back to Calgary? Or Tampa? and they need him to step in?

I'm not sure the appeal Ference would have to a rebuilding team like Calgary, seeing as he is on the downside of his career and he is a FA after this year. But who knows, maybe they are looking to re-sign him and bring some veteran leadership in during a transition period. I think he is more valuable to the Bruins right now though, and I think if anything, Bartkowski would be the guy going the other way.

 

[smithformeragent]

He could be watching from the ninth floor on a lot of nights as well, so I don't necessarily think this means he is a starter next year, though he will get the opportunity.

Let's just face facts, the Bruins are going to be tight against the cap next year, and there are going to be some young guys on this team that are borderline NHL players (Bourque, Bartkowski), but they will be making peanuts. I think the Bruins are preparing for the reality that they will have some spots to fill, and they will need to be filled with low-salary guys. Whichever prospects don't get dealt this year will also have a chance to make the club as well.

Ya, some people don't seem to get it.

They want to bring back Ference, give Horton $5M and extend Rask. Can't have it all. Gotta have some contributors who "make the league minimum"-Jake Taylor

Maybe they won't be as good next regular season. They can always use the Savard LTIR money to go out and pick up a scorer or defenseman at the deadline next year though.

 

[patty59]

If the Bruins are going all in for Iginla, they aren't moving Ference. He's an important locker room guy, and has familiarity with Iginla.

Rhett Warrener said on the radio in CGY that after Ference and Kobasew left to the Bruins the entire room was never the same. It was also the start of the end for the Flames.

Food for thought.

Warrener doesn't sugar coat stuff either.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Could make his contract more palatable for a move, or it could be bye bye Andy Ference after this year, no?

There's no way they'd slot him in as a replacement for Ference after one decent game! It has to be a trade, just has to. I hope....

 

[smithformeragent]

Only one-way a Stanley Cup contending team should be giving guys like Bartkowski is a one-way ticket to their AHL affiliate... not going to make it to the big show with this D squad.

So you use the Savard LTIR $ to upgrade at the deadline next year. Or, Hamilton develops and all of a sudden the existing group becomes stellar.

 

[smithformeragent]

I don't bring Ference back next year, but as an expiring contract, he's good value to the B;s this year. They're going to need 8 defensemen for a cup run this year.

 

[Fire Sweeney]

There's no way they'd slot him in as a replacement for Ference after one decent game! It has to be a trade, just has to. I hope....

I just don't see why a team would ask a sign & trade for Matt Bartkowski.

 

[finchster]

Re-sign Johnson as 5/6 defenceman, Bart as the 7th defenceman with Krug as the first call up next year.

 

[11MilesPerJohan]

Ya, some people don't seem to get it.

They want to bring back Ference, give Horton $5M and extend Rask. Can't have it all. Gotta have some contributors who "make the league minimum"-Jake Taylor

Maybe they won't be as good next regular season. They can always use the Savard LTIR money to go out and pick up a scorer or defenseman at the deadline next year though.

Yeah, we'll see how it all shakes out, but I think we could be looking at (and I don't want to say rebuild year cause they have a set core) reload year in 2013-2014. I at least think they start the year with some of those guys in their lineup, and then we will see if Chia can get creative and move some salary, or if they start to integrate some of their prospects into the fold. I'm not going to panic about it at this point, but that looks like what is going to happen.

 

[DoubleAAAA]

Same principle I guess but I have seen all what is it 7 games of his. A one way contract means he is staying here, and with them not even talking to Ference ,and McQuaid having slipped I doubt he is staying here for depth. I suppose a trade is possible but you always want someone on a two-way contract because it is cheaper duh. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link...bad move..quite bad.

BURIED CONTRACTS (Wade Redden Rule)
Money paid to players outside of the NHL counts against the cap.
A one-way contract counts against the cap as follows:
cap hit – [ minimum salary + $375,000 ]
Example: If Wade Redden plays in the minors in 2012-13, he counts as follows.
$6.5M – [ $525,000 + $375,000 ] = $5.6M
A two-way contract counts as follows:
minor-league salary – [ minimum salary + $375,000 ]
Example: Player A’s two-way contract pays $3M/$1M in 2012-13 and counts as follows in the minors.
$1M – [ $525,000 + $375,000 ] = $100,000

There is literally $0 salary cap impact to this contract unless he's in Boston, in which case he's making just slightly above the minimum amount you can pay a player.

 

[reidy]

Koko, Bartkowski, and a 1st for Iginla. You heard it here first.

 

[BergyWho37]

I just don't see why a team would ask a sign & trade for Matt Bartkowski.

It happens ... more so with kids then veterans

 

[zaYG]

Koko, Bartkowski, and a 1st for Iginla. You heard it here first.

The rest of us were thinking it in our heads

 

[smithformeragent]

I'm not sold on the fact that they're screwed next year, even if they lose Horton and Ference. After 2009, they lost Kessel and didn't replace him. They got Satan off the scrap heap and he chipped in just fine. They made it just as far in the playoffs in 2010 as they did the year before when they were regular season juggernauts.

 

[Kate08]

Ya, some people don't seem to get it.

They want to bring back Ference, give Horton $5M and extend Rask. Can't have it all. Gotta have some contributors who "make the league minimum"-Jake Taylor

Maybe they won't be as good next regular season. They can always use the Savard LTIR money to go out and pick up a scorer or defenseman at the deadline next year though.

But will they have uniforms and everything?

 

[11MilesPerJohan]

There's no way they'd slot him in as a replacement for Ference after one decent game! It has to be a trade, just has to. I hope....

I hope so to, but I think the economic realities are what they are for next year. I don't think he is necessarily in your top 6 next year, but he could certainly be in your top 7 and compete for ice time. Ference's play this year, though better as of late, has been inconsistent at best. He is a nice luxury to have as a veteran guy with experience and leadership, but they just may not be able to overpay for that next year. Ference could be back here, but it would have to be at the Bruins price. I think Bartkowski is decent insurance to have. He at least has some room to grow, and I am willing to trust the Bruin's evaluators on this one, at least as far as him growing into the position long term. But I hope you are right too, I hope this is a precursor to a trade for a legit piece. We'll see.

 

[BergyWho37]

Koko, Bartkowski, and a 1st for Iginla. You heard it here first.

actually not first posting this I posted this exact trade before this thread went up .... look on thread PC should make a move now Koko, Bart and a 1st

 

[TMac21]

Cheap replacement for Ference I hope

My first thought.

 

[DoubleAAAA]

My point is a two way contract makes him MORE tradeable......I am not worried about a minimal cap hit.

Oh please. So now a player who you don't consider to be an NHL player, having a league min, 1 year contract, means he's untradeable, but he sucks so no one would want him anyways, right?

What a bad ... very bad decision from the B's Harvard educated General Manager. They should have just hired you.

 

[m0rieris]

Could signal a Boychuk move since Bartkowski didn't look too much worse than Boychuk does when he plays!

 

[Spooner st]

Same principle I guess but I have seen all what is it 7 games of his. A one way contract means he is staying here, and with them not even talking to Ference ,and McQuaid having slipped I doubt he is staying here for depth. I suppose a trade is possible but you always want someone on a two-way contract because it is cheaper duh. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link...bad move..quite bad.

Wow...wise words my good Sir. What do you do for a living?

 

[11MilesPerJohan]

I'm not sold on the fact that they're screwed next year, even if they lose Horton and Ference. After 2009, they lost Kessel and didn't replace him. They got Satan off the scrap heap and he chipped in just fine. They made it just as far in the playoffs in 2010 as they did the year before when they were regular season juggernauts.

I don't think they will be screwed by any means, but I can already see people flipping out because Bourque and Bartkowski, etc are on this roster heading into the season. Chia is going to have to have some of those types of contracts on the books, at least to start the year. It will allow them to give some of their better prospects (those who aren't dealt) some more seasoning on the farm, and it will also buy Chia some time to get creative with the roster. He may have to move someone to free up some space, say a Kelly or Peverly, or he might have to go the scrap heap route as you suggested. I still think they will be one of the top teams in the league next year no matter what. I'm really not worried about it.

 

[BigBear83]

i really dont see the big deal in this signing.. every time bartkowski has come up he has gotten better. people are shredding him for miniscule things , where , a lot of goals scored didnt have a ton to do with him.. he also looks a lot bigger to me, finally filling out his frame.. you need depth and at the very least he is a very good depth defenseman.. im completely ok with bart being our 5-7 dman . relax , i feel like this is a good deal !