Kyle Brasseur, Special to ESPNBoston.com 9y

Unrestricted FAs Paille, Campbell told to pack up

BOSTON -- The first of what will likely be many changes made to the Boston Bruins following a season in which the team missed the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons was decided on Monday, as general manager Peter Chiarelli announced that unrestricted free agents Daniel Paille and Gregory Campbell have been informed they will not be returning to the team next year.

Paille and Campbell are two of five unrestricted free agents the Bruins have, with Adam McQuaid, Carl Soderberg and Matt Bartkowski being the others. As Chiarelli and head coach Claude Julien continue to conduct exit interviews with players, decisions regarding the other three remain up for discussion.

“There’s a little more questions that we've got to get answered first before we make determinations on that,” Chiarelli said. “We’ll see where that sits as the day and the week unfolds. There’s time to make some decisions, there’s time to go through the planning process, there’s time to look at various rosters and players. Fortunately we have a lot of time that way.”

Paille, a Bruin since 2009, totaled 13 points in 71 games this season with six goals and seven assists. A healthy scratch in the team’s last nine games of the season, it was a down year for the forward, who typically has seen action on the fourth line and penalty kill in his time with organization.

Campbell, acquired in 2010, also had a down year, totaling 12 points in 70 games with six goals and six assists. Like Paille, Campbell also typically saw time on the fourth line and penalty kill. He was a healthy scratch in four of the team’s last five games during the season.

McQuaid, the longest-tenured Bruin of the group, said he hopes to be back with the team next year. In 63 games with the team this season, the defenseman scored seven points on a goal and six assists while racking up over 18 minutes of ice time a game.

“I’ve had so many great memories here with this group and this organization... I can’t picture not being here,” McQuaid said. “It’s a different situation for me this year, some uncertainty, so I guess we’ll see how things play out. But, my priority, my goal would be to come back here. I don’t know if that’s realistic or not. I guess time will tell.”

For his part, Soderberg also said he hopes to return, citing his comfort playing in Boston. The forward, acquired by the Bruins in 2013, enjoyed another strong season with the team, scoring 44 points on 13 goals and 31 assists in 82 games.

Finally, Bartkowski said Monday that he had yet to meet with Chiarelli and Julien, thus his future with the team remains to be seen. The defenseman was often a healthy scratch early in the season, totaling four assists in 47 games played.

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