Fresh Links: Core Strength Edition

Both the Bruins and Jarome Iginla tried to reach an agreement, but in the end, the cap got in the way.

• Thanks, Jarome Iginla, no hard feelings and good luck to you in Colorado. Shawn Thornton has happy landings with the Panthers, and Chad Johnson is off to the Islanders. [TheBostonGlobe]
• It  came down to cap and core. Losing Iginla will hurt, and the Bruins now need the (cheaper) younger guys to step up going forward. [Boston.com]
• Wheel Of Right Wingers. Here's a reminder of past fillers-in, and potential future ones. [HeraldNews]
• The Bruins are, however, rich in defensemen now that David Warsofsky is clearly NHL ready. [HeraldNews]
• The door isn't quite shut on potential Bruins trades, just the splashy ones. Jordan Caron has received some interest from other teams. [NESN]
• Peter Chiarelli's legacy may be defined by the outcome of gambling on letting key players go. [Boston.CBSLocal]

Elsewhere around the rink:

• The good news is that in this advanced stat analysis of Eastern Defensemen, Zdeno Chara defies his age. Then watch the numbers adding Patrice Bergeron on ice, 5 on 5. [SportingNews]
• Meanwhile, the Canadiens are going forward with their young players, after dumping their veteran core. Can Manny Malhotra help rebuild the team's heart? [TheGlobeAndMail]
• The Maple Leafs are giddily embracing the magic they think they had two years ago, while a closer examination of that season suggests their playoff appearance to have only been a lucky aberration. [TheGlobeAndMail]
• The Bruins and Red Wings find themselves on the wrong side of this list of free agency winners and losers. [O.Canada]
• Counterpoint: This Winners/Losers list asserts that the Eastern Conference as a whole lost with Iginla's departure. [SportingNews]
• The Rangers maintained Boyle status quo: Dan Boyle was acquired as former Boston College Eagle Brian Boyle left for Tampa Bay. As an interesting footnote, former Bruins Matt Hunwick and Steven Kampfer were signed... [NorthJersey.com] ... and now are joined by Chris Bourque. [NHL]
• So, after all the UFA dust settles, these forwards and defensemen are still available. [ExtraSkater]

• Among other "big names" still available are goalies Martin Brodeur, Tim Thomas, Tomas Vokoun, and Ilya Bryzgalov. [NHL]
• O, Canada Day... Claude Giroux was arrested in an incident involving a holding penalty, a police officer, and too many adult beverages. [PuckDaddy]