By: Joe Ballway, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
Things have been hectic in the Hub of Hockey over the past week, and not only because of the Winter Classic. Here’s a look at some other developments that have been swirling:
-The Bruins inked 35-year old ex-sniper Miroslav Satan to a one year contract worth $700,000 on Sunday. Technically, it’s a half-year deal: with the season at its halfway point, Satan’s contract is only a $350,000 cap hit. But the Slovakian winger–age concerns aside–should bring a helpful scoring touch to Boston’s inconsistent offense, as he reached the 20-goal plateau every season from ’97-98 to ’06-07 and topped 30 four different times in that span. He should also provide some extra competition within a forward corps that has shown too much complacency and could use a little spark. He made his season debut last night against the Senators, showing promising chemistry on a line with Blake Wheeler and David Krejci and finishing +2 in 14:06 of ice time. Ironically enough, he wears #81.
-After a two-day layoff following the Classic, the Bruins played sloppily for the majority of a 3-2 loss against the Rangers Monday night. Facing a 2-0 third-period deficit, Boston showed signs of life and [...]

By Joe Ballway, YawkeyTalkies Correspondent
Training camp has begun and opening night is less than a month away, so here are some general questions for Bruins fans to ponder heading into the 2009-10 campaign:
What becomes of Phil Kessel?
Contract negotiations with Boston’s lone 30-goal scorer remain at an impasse. Kessel was already slated to miss significant time recovering from shoulder surgery, but one has to wonder if his future beyond that lies outside of Boston–especially considering the lack of available cap space and the upcoming free-agent mess in 2010 (Lucic, Savard, Wheeler and Stuart will all be seeking new contracts). 
While Kessel would be a substantial loss–he potted 36 goals despite missing 12 games last season–his departure wouldn’t go uncompensated. As a Group II restricted free agent, he could potentially walk in exchange for a first, second and third-round draft pick should the Bruins refuse to match an offer sheet from elsewhere. Management also has the option of trading Kessel’s rights, which may be the route of best interest since the return package can be negotiated–if, say, Boston is seeking a current player in lieu of/alongside draft picks.
How will the new faces fit in?
Steve Begin was a menace to the Bruins during his [...]