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Bruins discuss extension with GM Peter Chiarelli

Peter Chiarelli

Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli speaks to the media after a hockey team practice at the TD Garden in Boston Monday, Sept. 28, 2009 as they prepare for their season opener against the Washington Capitals on Thursday. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

AP

A lot of players (and also head coach Claude Julien) received immense credit for the Boston Bruins’ second run to the Stanley Cup Final in three years, but GM Peter Chiarelli is the person who constructed the roster. CSNNE.com reports that the franchise has discussed a contract extension with the executive multiple times during the last few months.

Chiarelli’s contract is set to expire after the 2013-14 season, prompting team president Cam Neely to admit that he deserves a contract extension.

“I think the job that both Pete [Chiarelli] and Claude [Julien] have done since they’ve been here is something that we certainly hope would happen where we get the team back to relevance, and give us an opportunity to compete for championships. Ultimately, we did win one,” Neely said. “We got to the Finals, and it’s very disappointing to lose in the Finals, obviously. But to acquire the types of players, and draft and develop the types of players that are going to help us win championships is what Peter and Donny [Don Sweeney] and Jim Benning have done.”

Perhaps the organization wants to see him make things work once more.

Chiarelli faces some serious challenges this summer, as Nathan Horton is among the most prominent unrestricted free agents while breakout star goalie Tuukka Rask is a restricted free agent.

It won’t be easy to make everything work with an estimated $5.8 million in cap space, but Chiarelli has shown that he can deftly manage the cap and other concerns in the past.