Stanley Cup of Chowder, a Boston Bruins community

The Bruins announced today that they have assigned rookie defenseman Matt Bartkowski to the Providence Bruins. Bartkowski will stay with the team until they return to Prague but cannot practice with the team or dress for this weekend's games against the Phoenix Coyotes. The Bruins now have 24 players (including non-roster invitee Brian McGrattan, who is on a professional try-out agreement and spare goalie Nolan Schaefer). So, the only question mark left is whether on or not the B's sign McGrattan. This seems to be pretty much their opening night roster. According to Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe and Boston.com, this is how the B's lined up in practice today: Wheeler Bergeron Recchi Lucic Krejci Horton Paille Seguin Ryder/Caron Marchand Campbell Thornton/McGrattan Chara Boychuk Stuart Ference Hunwick Seidenberg Bartkowski McQuaid Rask Thomas Schaefer

John Bishop of BostonBruins.com is reporting via Twitter that Miroslav Satan is on the ice for Bruins practice at Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington. This is probably a good sign that he has passed the team's physical. According to Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe, Claude Julien does not expect Satan to play for 7-10 days. Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com is reporting via Twitter that Satan is likely going to wear #81 for the Bruins. KPD reported that he is wearing a helmet decal with his familiar #81.

Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe is reporting that Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli is looking to trade up in this weekend's NHL Entry Draft in hopes of selecting a player that the Bruins "have an eye on".

Kevin Paul Dupont looks at the difficult tasks that GM Peter Chiarelli has ahead of him this off-season. I completely agree with KPD. I don't see them signing both Kessel and Krejci. I think if you had to pick one of the two to sign, it is Krejci.

Kevin Paul Dupont questions Bob Gainey's decision to put Georges Laraque on a line with Saku Koivu and Alex Kovalev

Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe is reporting that Tim Thomas' new contract would for around $5 million a year for 2-3 years. Peter Chiarelli wisely made this deal prior to Thomas' 35th birthday on April 15th, which according to Dupont allows the Bruins "to be able to buy him out at any time, cut their dollar commitment by one-third, and be able to spread the payments over twice the remaining term of the deal" under the terms of the NHL's collective bargaining agreement. The deal has not been announced by the Bruins organization or filed with the NHLPA yet.

Kevin Paul Dupont looks at the chances of seeing the 2010 NHL Winter Classic at Fenway or Gillette.

Peter Chiarelli supposedly has compiled a list of 8 players that are on his radar screen as the trade deadline approaches. Kevin Dupont played "the name game" and speculated on who would be on the list in today's Globe.

It looks like Kevin Paul Dupont is trying to stir up trouble in the Hub of Hockey. Dupont referred to Manny Fernandez as "Manny 'No Comment' Fernandez" in a post on Boston.com's Bruins Blog this morning. This comes after Fernandez declined to speak to the media following Saturday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Flyers.

KPD's article in the Globe indicates that the B's are looking to bring in one more veteran before the deadline. I had heard Erik Cole's name kicked around other places and it was brought up again in Dupont's article this morning. I think they would be better off trying to get a defenseman that can move the puck, although that might be a difficult task.