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Merrimack’s Schaller leaves Bruins to sign with Vancouver

By Tom King - Staff Writer | Jul 2, 2018

Photo by The Asscociated Press Merrimack's Tim Schaller's tenacity in two years as a Boston Bruin earned him a big payday as he signed a two-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks at the start of NHL free agency on Sunday.

The area’s Boston Bruins connection the last two years is now a Vancouver Canuck.

Merrimack’s Tim Schaller, who was a reliable fourth line player for the Bruins in his two Boston seasons, reportedly agreed to a two-year deal worth $1.9 million per with the Canucks on Sunday, the first day of NHL free agency. He called his new team “a perfect fit.”

That’s a significant raise for Schaller – more than $1 million per, and despite how well he played as a Bruin, he wasn’t likely going to get that kind of offer from Boston general manager Don Sweeney.

“I’m very excited to be joining Vancouver,” Schaller said Sunday evening via a text message. “I think it’s a great opportunity to show what I’ve learned the past couple of years and play with a lot of good players to help each other get better and win some games.”

Sweeney instead, as the Bruins announced Sunday, inked former Carolina Hurricane forward Joakim Nordstrom to a two-year, $1 million per deal to take Schaller’s spot on the fourth line. Nordrstom only had two goals and five assists in 75 games last season, his best year coming in 2015-16 with 10 goals and 14 assist. His price was likely the kind of deal Boston was hoping to be able to keep Schaller for, but Vancouver greatly exceeded that.

The 27-year-old Schaller, on the other hand, had a career year with 12 goals and 10 assists last season, and was an energetic, no-nonsense player on Boston’s fourth line for two seasons after spending the first few years of his career up and down between the AHL and NHL with the Buffalo Sabres.

Still, it had to be hard for Schaller to leave. His first career goal came four years ago vs. the Bruins in the TD Garden while with Buffalo, he understandably called being a Bruin “a dream come true” and parents Robert and Susan were at most if not all of his home games. But, that kind of raise was an offer he likely couldn’t refuse.

When the off-season began Schaller told the New England media that he understood the business aspect of the game and that “Playing (in Boston) for a long time is obviously a dream. I don’t know if it’s realistic or not.”

At six-foot-2, 210 pounds, Schaller has shown speed but is also a physical player as he had 132 hits last season. That, it’s been reported, is what Vancouver is looking for in him and he is expected to be one of the Canucks’ top penalty killers.

Schaller signed with the Bruins almost exactly to the day two years ago, and he had seven goals and seven assists with 23 penalty minutes in 59 games. He also scored a goal in the Stanley Cup Playoff series vs. Ottawa, returning late in the season from a leg injury.

Ironically, his original Bruin deal was a two-way deal, as he was slated to begin the 2016-17 season at Providence but was called up right before the season opener and stayed with Boston the entire season. It was a one-year contract and he re-signed for another year with Boston last summer for a reported $750,000 per.

But not this time, as he played his way into a significant raise.

Last year he played in all 82 games, something that also had to increase his value on the open market. He also increased his physical play with 46 penalty minutes. In 11 playoff games this spring, he had two assists, but was a big factor in the Bruins’ Game Two win over Toronto at the TD Garden with his tenacity.

Schaller was signed by the Sabres as an undrafted free agent in April of 2013 after a stellar career at Providence College. He played briefly for Merrimack High School but then opted to play juniors with the New England Jr. Huskies in 2006-07.

The Nashua Silver Knights are said to be planning a night for Schaller later this season. Knowing he was going to be an unrestricted free agent, rather than call it their annual “Bruins Night”, they smartly are making it “Tim Schaller Night”.

Schaller feels his tenacity will fit Vancouver’s style.

“It’s going to be a very hungry hockey team in a great city,” he said, “so it’s going to be a perfect fit for me and I’m very excited to get going in the fall.”

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