Fringe Signings (July 15)

The Boston Bruins re-signed defenseman Matt Bartkowski, who has an outside shot at becoming a fringe defender, deep in the hockey pool draft and making an impact as a bargain player. Bartkowski finished last season in 100th among all defenders with 18 assists in 64 games for Boston and if he can string together a full year, he could be a good depth defender.

Bartkowski signed a 1-year deal on Monday, worth $1.25 million.  His inclusion on the projected roster leaves only one spot on the blueline for the Bruins, which they are likely to fill with RFA Torey Krug, who is still in need of a contract.  The team now has six spots available with only $5.2 million in cap space, which likely means they'll be moving someone soon.

In all honesty, there hasn't been a great deal to chime about, when talking about defenseman Tim Erixon. He's a kid that has overvalued himself, worked his way out of one market, played poorly enough to get moved out of another and now Columbus is giving him a shot, for whatever reason. There has to be some level of skill still in his game, but he hasn't had the numbers to go with it. He is only a 23-year old kid, playing defense, which isn't all that easy, so his game will have to evolve with his maturity. Could it happen this year?

Erixon signed a 1-year deal on Tuesday, but cap figures were not immediately available.  He won't be on the projected roster right away, but I think he is worth mentioning as a fringe player.