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Price of victory: Bruins face $1.13 million cap penalty for bonus overages

Peter Chiarelli

Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli talks on his phone while watching NHL hockey training camp in Boston Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

AP

Last summer when the Boston Bruins got dinged for $1.759 million in bonus overages, having that much taken off their salary cap for the 2010-2011 made life a little trickier for Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli. As Chiarelli showed, however, such things aren’t an issue for him as he was able to help build a team that went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Chiarelli’s skills will be tested out once again in the 2011-2012 season as the Bruins will have another bonus overage to contend with against the salary cap. Fluto Shinzawa of The Boston Globe reports that the Bruins will have $1.13 million in cap penalties next season.

The main culprit behind the Bruins’ reduced salary cap this upcoming season is the now retired Mark Recchi. Recchi’s play and helping the team win the Stanley Cup helped him earn some nice parting gifts as he headed off into the NHL sunset. The cap penalty is reasonable, but should the Bruins run into a few nagging injuries, that $1.13 million is money that could go to a replacement player (or two) for the roster.

If there’s anything we’ve learned about the Bruins and Chiarelli is that they’ll find a way to make it work. Having to deal with bonus overages is something teams have to deal with and while the Blackhawks had some unbelievable issues last summer with more than $4 million in overages, it doesn’t have to be a crippling situation. The Bruins will be just fine even with the $63.17 million cap to spend to.