So... Blake Wheeler?

Over the past few weeks, all of the talk with the Boston Bruins has been about Blake Wheeler and this arbitration deal. Should the Bruins sign him? Can they even afford it? In an article last week, I explained the situation the B's are in. Wheeler's arbitration value was made official today. The offer? 1 year, $2.2 million.

The Bruins can now take it or leave it. If they choose to ignore the arbitration offer, Wheeler can walk as an unrestricted free agent. If they choose to accept the offer, that is $2.2 million that they don't have. When Marco Sturm comes back in December and his $3.5 million cap hit is reassumed, the Bruins will need to dish out salaries to remain cap-competent. So what should they do? What will they do?

They'll sign Wheeler. I'm almost sure of it. $2.2 million is a pretty decent figure, considering he made $2.8 million last season and was actually our third highest goal scorer. It seems to be becoming a more and more likely option to throw Michael Ryder into a mix of negotiations to fix this cap problem. Yes, it would be absurd to have a $4 million player in Providence, but it would also clear him out of the way. Some are worried that Ryder would be claimed off waivers first by another team. So be it! All the power to whatever team wants Michael Ryder! I'd pay $4 million for a cheeseburger before I'd pay $4 million for Michael Ryder.

Of course, they could always hold off on everything. Sign Wheeler and Seguin. Sturm is out. Keep the team as-is. If Ryder fails to produce in the first few months, waive him. Then he'll either be gone or in Providence. If he does produce, that probably means things are going well. They would have to find another way to dump salary. At least the Bruins have some options. But when you consider that there are possibilities by which you could choose between Ryder and Wheeler, at $4 million and $2.2 million respectively -- it's tough to let Wheeler walk as a UFA.