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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 2571204" data-attributes="member: 2012">Raycroft, Boynton not at Bruins campCanadian Press9/12/2005 7:33:44 PMBOSTON (AP) - Goalie Andrew Raycroft and defenceman Nick Boynton held out in contract disputes at the opening of the Boston Bruins training camp Monday, depriving the team of two keys to stopping opposing forwards under the NHL's more wide-open rules.General manager Mike O'Connell wasn't sure if or when they'd return, although several Bruins players are confident that they'll be back before the regular season begins Oct. 5 at home against the Montreal Canadiens."Both these players are very important to us," O'Connell said. "They're terrific individuals and we'd like to get them in camp as soon as possible."In 2003-'04, Raycroft was the NHL rookie of the year and Boynton played in the all-star game for the first time in his three full seasons. But the Bruins are close to the league's $39-million US salary cap and want to leave some space to acquire players during the season if others get injured.They have 17 players under contract for $33,129,004, according to the NHL Players Association, leaving them with $5,870,996 to spend.The team hasn't disclosed how much it offered Raycroft and Boynton, but O'Connell said both received more than the minimum qualifying offer for a one-year deal. That offer must be at least a certain percentage of the player's last salary as specified in the collective bargaining agreement that ended the NHL lockout that wiped out the 2004-'05 season."We're not very close at all right now with Andrew," O'Connell said. "I think Boynton is a little closer."If we can get him done, then maybe we can get Andrew done."Team owner Jeremy Jacobs said the Bruins "enriched the team substantially in skill" by signing free agents but wondered if it had spent too much."I don't think we left ourselves enough room (under salary cap)," Jacobs said.He added that the offers to Raycroft and Boynton are in line with salaries of similar players in the NHL.O'Connell said that he hasn't had any discussions about trading those players and that the team has some cap room left."If we feel we need to do something to get both these players in, we have the ability to do that," he said.Several Bruins are optimistic both players will be back soon."Pretty much every year that I've been involved in the NHL there's been some player that hasn't been in camp or some contract dispute," said defenceman Brian Leetch, who played 15 full seasons with the New York Rangers before being traded to Toronto on March 3, 2004, and then signing with Boston on Aug. 3."Most of the time it's been worked out before the start of the season. I expect it will here."Added captain Joe Thornton, Boston's highest paid player at $6.66 million this season: "Those guys are going to get signed. It's just a matter of time."Sergei Samsonov also expects them back soon and said that returning after the lockout "seems like it was just one long summer. Everybody's excited to be back."</blockquote>

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