Bruins Re-sign Seidenberg to Four-Year Extension

By Chris Buonomo in Bruins, Featured ⋅ June 5, 2010 at 11:33pm ⋅ Post a comment

Dennis Seidenberg agrees to Four-Year Extension with Bruins (Keith Srakocic-AP)

Everything is coming together for Dennis Seidenberg. The lacerated tendon in his arm has healed and Saturday he inked a four-year contract extension with the Bruins. Seidenberg, who has played for five clubs since 2002, is finally settling down.

Peter Chairelli, the Bruins’ general manager, spoke about locking up the German defenseman for the next four years.

“When we acquired Dennis, we valued him as a strong two-way defenseman and he showed that style of play.”

After being acquired at the trade deadline, Seidenburg rose to the No. 2 defensive spot, quickly falling into sync with Zdeno Chara. Right away he was a good fit. His season was cut short on April 3, and he only wore the Black and Gold for 17 games, but he compiled 2 goals and 7 assists for 9 points. Including his stats from his time with the Florida Panthers this season, he finished with career highs in assists (28) and points (32). Defensively, he led the NHL with 215 blocked shots.

His two-way style keeps Claude Julien’s options open for the German defenseman. His play-making ability can make him a mainstay at the point on the power play, while his no-fear shot blocking will get him on the ice for many man-down situations. Expect his time on ice per game to be one of the highest on the team if he continues to play with Chara.

Seidenberg’s comments in the aftermath of the extension reflect his excitement in staying in Boston. Yes, he is a journeyman and would like to settle down, but he has genuinely found a home at the Garden.

“I think just going onto the ice in front of sold out buildings every night and playing with guys who are really knowledgeable I think that made the decision pretty easy to hit the page and mark it.”

The Context

Peter Chiarelli had the option in treating Seidenberg as a short-term rental and letting him become a free agent. Seidenberg must have made an impact though, on the ice and in the dressing room, to have the organization lock him up for four years. Seventeen games were all he needed to win over his teammates, management, and the fans.

With the recent re-signing of resident tough guy Shawn Thornton, the acquisition of Russian Defenseman Yuri Alexandrov, and the countdown to the Taylor Hall sweepstakes, the state of the Bruins is optimistic. In the wake of the recent playoff meltdown, the future is all they can look to. It cannot come quickly enough.

Tags: Dennis Seidenberg, Peter Chiarelli, Shawn Thornton, Zdeno Chara