Marc Savard Reportedly Still Being Shopped by Bruins

It's hard not to look at the Boston Bruins roster without noticing a glut of centers. The Bruins have youngsters David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, and No. 2 overall pick Tyler Seguin all available, along with former Florida Panther Gregory Campbell and dynamic veteran Marc Savard.

Even with a manageable $4 million cap hit, Savard has been the target of trade talks throughout the summer. No deal has been worked out, and there may have been some who assumed Savard would simply stay put in Boston and be a No. 1 or No. 2 center for the Bruins.

Not so fast. ESPNBoston.com is citing a source in reporting that the Bruins are "actively shopping" Savard.

... trade talks have been "hampered" by interested teams facing cap issues. Also complicating a potential deal, according to the source, is the NHL's investigation into Savard's seven-year contract that has an annual salary cap hit of $4 million for the next seven seasons. The Bruins, of course, have cap issues of their own. They'll need to make a move to get under the cap before the season begins.

The Bruins are in a tough spot. To get under the salary cap, they have to do something, but they've so far resisted the temptation to deal Savard or veteran goalie Tim Thomas, who has been relegated to backup duty by youngster Tuukka Rask.

Earlier reports on Savard -- mainly before the NHL Draft -- had him targeted by Eastern Conference teams. It's believed he would prefer to remain in the East were he traded, but he has the right to veto any deal because of the no-trade in his contract.

Savard told the Ottawa Sun in mid-August he was "hurt" by all the trade talk.

"They hurt me a little bit just because I went to Boston and I helped to build that team back up," Savard said in an interview Friday - his first public comments since the rumours surfaced. "I've really tried to work hard with the young guys and being a core player. I was really focused on staying there for the rest of my career. To hear all this stuff this summer bothered me inside more than anything else." Savard expects to return to Boston. "Right now I'm a Bruin and that's the way it is," he said. "(But) it's been tough."

With this as a backdrop, it's fair to wonder what kind of deal Savard would accept. It could be a tougher sell for the Bruins than they may have thought.