This just in from the news-that-isn't-really-news department: while Peter Chiarelli and the Bruins front office continue to wave Marc Savard's $28 million contract that is by no means a sure thing in front of potential suitors, league sources not affiliated with the team remain fairly certain that the star centerman will be dressed and on the ice with the Bruins come Sept. 17.
Joe Haggerty of Comcast SportsNet New England says that despite Savard's hurt feelings from the trade situation, he should still be with the team on day one of training camp. Meanwhile, ESPNBoston's James Murphy notes that the front office is still hard at work trying to move number 91.
With Toronto Maple Leafs' defenseman Tomas Kaberle's no-movement clause kicking in on Aug. 15, the number of teams in need of a star center that had an attractive piece to offer the Bruins decreased even further. Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli hasn't said much about the circumstances surrounding Savard this offseason, but it's been made very clear that the Bruins would like to add a puck-moving defenseman to man their blue line alongside either Dennis Seidenberg or Johnny Boychuk.
Kaberle was slotted to be that man, but trade talks between the Bruins and Leafs never really gained any steam. Leafs' GM Brian Burke went on record saying that he wouldn't move Kaberle straight up for Savard, and that the Bruins' asking price was too high.
With training camp only two weeks away, it's highly unlikely that any team would want to make a dashing roster move that would help them acquire Savard. Although the Bruins' exact demands have been kept under wraps, it stands to reason that they'd prefer proven talent in any acquisition over draft picks - next year's draft class doesn't look very strong, and the Bruins already have a lot of youth in their system.