Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Boston Bruins sign ‘Pain Sponge’ Dennis Seidenberg to four year, $13 M deal

Josh Bailey, Tim Thomas, Dennis Seidenberg, Zdeno Chara

New York Islanders’ Josh Bailey (12) stuffs the puck past Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas (30) as Bruins’ Dennis Seidenberg (44) and Zdeno Chara, of Slovakia, try to defend in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 6, 2010, in Uniondale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)

AP

Look, it’s no secret that I admire the work of Boston Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg. After all, I did coin what I still hope will be his nickname, “The Pain Sponge” after realizing that - along with leading the NHL in blocked shots this season - he was also one of the league’s most frequently checked players.

Even so, I have to admit that I was surprised the Bruins signed Seidenberg to such an expensive four-year, $13 million contract extension today (according to TSN). That being said, it’s a charming venture for the agony absorber and it stands to mention that the bruised blueliner had a career year with 28 assists and 32 points. He could do a little bit of everything, but it’s still stunning that he’ll be making more than $3 million a year (on average).

Seidenberg is 28-years-old so he should still be able to play at a similar (though maybe not as offensively productive) level through his contract, unless is ability to accept anguish declines with injuries.

Signing Seidenberg to that contract brings the Bruins cap space down to about $4.4 million, at least if my quick CapGeek.com subtraction is correct. If, say, Tyler Seguin makes the roster, the team might not have much breathing room but they should be able to ice a team without making moves they’d rather avoid. (Then again, there’s always the “trade Thomas?” debate.)

It was a bumpy ride for the Boston Bruins last year and “The Pain Sponge” stood as a microcosm of that season. The team clearly wants to keep the tough German on a roster that might just do some damage ... to the opposition, that is.