From a salary cap perspective it’s a major win for the Bruins, not only because the trade helped them shed the $4 million cap hit that Savard still carried with him, but also because Hayes’ new deal is actually cheaper than the contract ($3.4 million per year) Smith signed this past season with the Bruins. He broke his finger in his second practice with the Bruins after the deadline deal and only played toward the very end of the ill-fated regular season. Meantime, Connolly was targeted by ex- GM Peter Chiarelli for his release, the thing the Bruins want to see more of when he gets the puck in good places. His combination of size and skill makes him a nice fit for the Bruins style of play and a piece of the puzzle as they try to replace Milan Lucic, who was traded to the Los Angeles Kings before the 2015 National Hockey League Draft. In five games with the Bruins last season, he picked up two assists.
Advertisement
Connolly was limited to just five games with Boston last season due to injury after being acquired from Tampa Bay.
The team also signed forward Brandon DeFazio to a two-way contract.
The Bruins Communications Staff will have pool quotes from Connolly posted on the team’s media website (www.bostonbruins.com/media, log-in email: [email protected], password: media). The Dorchester native was a second-round pick of the Maple Leafs in 2008 before being traded to Chicago in 2010.
Advertisement
Hayes, who played in 72 games for the Panthers last season, scored 19 goals and tallied 16 assists. But the ex- No. 6 overall pick in the 2010 draft could be anywhere from the first line to the third line on the Bruins where his risky right-handed shot and ideal size could potentially add plenty on the right wing. He’s a veteran of 288 AHL games, scoring 60 goals and 58 assists over that span. He was signed by the Canucks as a free agent on July 12, 2013.
