Boston Bruins forward Phil Kessel must’ve gone into this year’s Labor Day weekend believing his days with the Bruins are numbered.

Trade rumors have dogged Kessel for the past two years, most generated by the local press which -while acknowledging his offensive talent - have issues with his defensive skills, overlooking the fact Kessel is only 21 and most young offensive talents like him tend to improve their all-round play over time.

This summer however the rumors have more than a kernel of truth, as the Bruins nearly had a deal in place which would’ve shipped Kessel to Toronto for defenseman Tomas Kaberle at this year’s draft until it fell apart over which draft picks would be included in the swap.

Intensifying the situation is Kessel’s contract status. Presently he’s an unsigned restricted free agent, believed seeking over $4 million per season, which the Bruins, currently sitting with $1.7 million in available salary cap space, cannot afford.

The Bruins aren’t in a rush to re-sign Kessel as he’s not expected to return from off-season shoulder surgery until sometime in November, giving them an extra couple of months to either work out a new contract (which would mean moving other players to free up cap space) or peddling Kessel to a club willing to pay his contract price.

But there is a time limit for the Bruins, for if Kessel isn’t re-signed by December 1^st he’ll become ineligible for play this season.

Kessel recently suggested his situation could be rectified one way or the other prior to October 1^st, which is opening night for the NHL’s 2009-10 season.

Speculation has increased over the past two weeks as reports in the Boston media cited sources claiming teams have expressed interest in Kessel.

The San Jose Sharks, New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks and the Maple Leafs have been considered potential trade partners. The recent acquisition by Leafs general manager Brian Burke of his 2010 second round draft pick from the Chicago Blackhawks gives him, as noted this weekend by TSN’s Bob McKenzie, the required compensation of a first, second and third round picks he’d require to give the Bruins were he to successfully sign away Kessel with an offer sheet.

Whether or not that’s Burke’s intent remains to be seen, but with training camps set to open mid-month and the start of the season over three weeks away (as of this writing) it’s possible Kessel’s contract status could come to a head very soon. 

Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli is wasting little time getting his free agents under contract for next season.

One week after re-signing forward Chuck Kobasew to a new contract, the Bruins announced the re-signing of veteran defenseman Aaron Ward to a two-year, $5 million contract extension, which breaks down as $2.5 million per season against the Bruins cap.

Since joining the Bruins at the February 2007 trade deadline in a deal that saw Paul Mara shipped to the New York Rangers, the 35-year-old Ward has provided the Bruins defense corps with a much-needed physical defensive presence and leadership.

A member of three Stanley Cup championship teams in his career, two with Detroit and one with Carolina, Ward's best season was the 2005-06 season, where in the playoffs his hard-nosed defensive play, particularly his shot-blocking, helped the Hurricanes win their first-ever Stanley Cup.

His style of play and his active work in the local community has made Ward a fan favorite in Boston, and the fact that he took a slight pay cut (he earned $2.75 million last season) to remain with the Bruins should only further bolster his popularity among the Bruins faithful.

 Ward's experience and leadership should continue to make him a valuable addition to a rebuilding Bruins team which took a substantial leap in their development with a surprise appearance in the 2008 playoffs, where they pushed the first overall Montreal Canadiens to the limit before falling in seven games in the first round.

This was a good, affordable signing by Chiarelli and should continue to pay dividends for the Bruins over the next two years.