We Barely Knew Ya, Matt

With Marc Savard's return imminent, the Bruins were forced to trade away
defenseman Matt Hunwick earlier this week to remain under the salary cap. 

Unlike Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League operates under a strict salary cap. There is no system of wealth distribution like Baseball's luxury tax, which funnels million of dollars from big market clubs who exceed the cap to small market clubs who truly need the financial help to produce a contender.

The Bruins are no exception to the rule. Like every other club in the NHL, they are forced to maneuver the roster in any way possible as long as it remains in compliance with the salary cap, which began the year at $59.4 million. So, while adding a slick, play-making, veteran presence like Marc Savard to the roster might seem like a win-win for Boston (his return from Post-Concussion-Syndrome is imminent), the Bruins are stuck between a rock and hard place because when Savard returns to the ice, so does his $4.007 million cap hit.

As a result, the Bruins traded away defenseman Matt Hunwick to the Colorado Avalanche earlier this week. By taking Hunwick's $1.45 million cap hit off the books, the Bruins have cleared enough space for Savard to return to the lineup. However, trading away Hunwick could prove highly detrimental to the team's offensive game-plan. After trading Dennis Wideman for Nathan Horton during the offseason, Hunwick became the lone, puck-moving defenseman on the roster. Also, at 25-years-old, the smooth skating Hunwick was just starting to reach his stride. Tough guy Adam McQuaid is expected to replace Hunwick along the blue line.

In return for Hunwick, the Bruins did acquire highly-touted former Boston University defenseman Colby Cohen. At 6'2'', 200 lbs, Cohen is also a big, physical, offensively talented blue-liner who was picked in the 2nd round of the 2007 Draft. As a sophomore, he scored the game-winning goal against the University of Miami (Ohio) to clinch the 2009 National Championship for BU.

Still, with the return of Marco Sturm just a month or so away, the Bruins will be faced with cutting even more salary. The most logical salary-cap casualties include Michael Ryder, Blake Wheeler, Daniel Paille, or even Tim Thomas, who, despite playing great of late, carries a massive $5 million per year cap hit. While I would be willing to part with Ryder and Paille, giving up Wheeler is something I'm strongly opposed to. The former first round pick (5th overall in 2004) is young (24), big (6'5'', 200 lbs), physical, and offensively gifted, able to play both center and wing. Those are the type of players you'd like to hang onto.