However, as several key players entered the summer headed for free agency, management has done a good job of keeping core players in town on a tight budget.

First up were the signings of Shawn Thornton and Dennis Seidenberg. Thornton, a staple on the fourth line, has been just as important to locker room chemistry as he has been to defending his teammates’ honor. Known for his charity work, his blunt honesty with the press and his inability to back down from a challenge, Thornton is an important piece of the puzzle for the Bruins.

Seidenberg was acquired in March to help a defense that had struggled through injury and inconsistency all season and played well, registering nine points in 17 games before suffering an injury of his own that sidelined him for the entirety of the team’s playoff run. When healthy, Seidenberg will be as asset to the defense corps and a solid veteran presence to play alongside Zdeno Chara.

Also returning to the team will be defensemen Johnny Boychuk, Mark Stuart and Adam McQuaid, as well as forwards Mark Recchi, Daniel Paille and Blake Wheeler.

Boychuk started last season watching games from the press box, but quickly found himself inserted into the lineup due to injuries. Through devastating body checks and exceptional defensive play, he earned himself a permanent spot in the top-six just as fast.

Stuart had been the team’s ironman, having played two complete seasons without missing any time before he sat out with a prolonged hand injury this spring. His big body was sorely missed on the back end and now that he’s had time to heal, he should return to being a force to be reckoned with.

McQuaid played well in 19 games on recall, even scoring his first NHL goal in a game against Montreal this February. With a little more discipline applied to his play, he could compete for a full-time spot in Boston.

At 42-years old, Recchi is by far the most veteran player on the Bruins roster. His leadership and experience are invaluable to such a young team and many breathed a sigh of relief when he signed on for another season.

Since coming over in a trade from Buffalo, Paille has been the team leader in shorthanded minutes played. Along with Steve Begin, he was absolutely essential to a penalty kill that ranked third overall in the league last year. Though he experienced an overall drop in production, Paille was still called upon in many key situations because of his skating ability and defensive instincts.

When the Bruins and Wheeler couldn’t agree on a contract in July, Wheeler exercised his option to take the team to arbitration to determine his value; a risky endeavor for a player who struggled through a lot of last season despite finishing fifth on the roster in scoring. The Bruins ultimately agreed to the arbitrator’s decision and re-signed Wheeler in hopes that he’ll recover from the dreaded sophomore slump.

In addition to keeping busy with free agency, general manager Peter Chiarelli has also acquired some additional firepower for his offense through trades and by picking blue chip prospect Tyler Seguin second overall in the entry draft.

A mid-June trade brought Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell to Boston in exchange for Dennis Wideman and a pair of draft picks.

While Wideman had improved during the playoffs after suffering the jeering and criticism of an entire city during the regular season due to his abysmal play, it was too little too late for the defenseman to keep himself off the trade block. Horton comes to the Bruins after leading the Panthers in assists and finishing second overall on the team in total points last season. A very versatile power forward, Horton is adept at playing both center and right wing and should fit in easily on a top line. Campbell, who saw a major decline in point totals last season, is still a very gritty forward and will add depth to the roster, which lost fourth line center Begin to free agency.

Seguin, the reigning OHL MVP, is the complete package. He’s got the skills, the hands and the size to compete at the NHL level and has recently signed a three-year entry level contract. While this type of contract stipulates that Seguin will have to return to the OHL if he doesn’t make the Bruins roster out of training camp, this kid wants it bad and many expect to see him in black and gold next season.