by By Kevin Paul Dupont, Globe Staff , The Boston Globe

Mark Recchi, 545 career goals and counting, came to terms on a one-year contract extension with the Bruins yesterday, positioning the savvy, veteran winger to spend his 20th NHL season in the Hub of Hockey.

``When we acquired him [March 4] we were looking for a guy who had a lefthanded shot, and would bring some grit to our lineup,'' said Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli. ``He gave it to us in spades.''

Recchi, who bravely battled through a painful bout with a kidney stone in the second round of the playoffs, especially clicked with Patrice Bergeron and Chuck Kobasew. Some of the club's forwards, Kobasew in particular, increased their competitiveness around the net after Recchi's arrival, at times making it look as if he were a player-coach on some shifts, instructing by example.

The one-year deal, which Chiarelli said was in the works the last couple of weeks, will pay the 41-year-old Recchi $1 million, a sum the GM depicted as ``cap friendly.''

``We need some veteran leadership back,'' noted Chiarelli. ``And at his exit interview [following the end of the playoffs], he said he only wanted to play in Boston, and I explained that we would need to work some things out with our other [negotiations] first, and he understood. We're thrilled to have him back. He plays hard. He has the [two] Stanley Cup rings. And the one big thing, for our guys to see him play hurt - to be on the training table with an IV stuck in his arm [following the kidney stone episode] and then play - I know that opened a lot of eyes for some of our young guys.''

Two for the show?

Along with Wednesday's free agent signing of Steve Begin for $850,000 and a two-year contract extension for young winger Byron Bitz for a cap number of $687,500, the Bruins are left with approximately $4.5 million in cap room against the 2009-10 figure of $56.8 million.

Chiarelli has yet to finalize deals with restricted free agents Phil Kessel (right wing) and Matt Hunwick (defenseman), the latter of whom has arbitration rights (filing deadline: Sunday, 5 p.m.). Chiarelli said negotiations continue with both players, but he declined to characterize where the talks stood or what he felt the chances were of getting deals done.

The likely target figures Boston has in mind: Kessel at $3.5 million and Hunwick at $1 million. The trickier is Kessel, who scored 36 goals this past season, tying him for 12th with Dallas's Loui Eriksson. Of the 11 players who scored more than 36 goals, all now have contracts for next season at a cap number that averages slightly below $6.5 million.

Neither Chiarelli nor agent Wade Arnott have been willing to make public Kessel's asking price, but it's likely $4.25 million a year or more. Though not likely, he could seek to sign a one-year extension, which would allow him to elect salary arbitration this time next year. If he scores 36 goals again, he would have the game's elite group of scorers, and their high salaries, as comparisons.

National duty

Second-year winger Milan Lucic was the lone Bruin named to Team Canada's Olympic tuneup camp next month in Calgary.

``It's a great honor for him,'' said Chiarelli, who earlier in the week saw goalie Tim Thomas and Kessel named to the Team USA camp next month in suburban Chicago. ``I'd had a couple of discussions with [Canada GM] Steve [Yzerman] over the course of the year, and they like the way Looch plays, and the fact that the Games will be the smaller rink [rather than the oversized Olympic sheet].

``It's a great compliment, but at the same time it's just a first step. They asked a lot of guys to camp.''

Chiarelli said Bergeron, Marc Savard, and Dennis Wideman also were considered for Team Canada, and there remains a chance that one, two, or all three could get a call from Yzerman if the camp doesn't produce the desired mix.

Summer camp

Jordan Caron, Boston's top pick in last Friday's draft, and Russian defenseman Yuri Alexandrov will be among the 25 youngsters to participate in the club's development camp next week at Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington.

Forwards Zach Hamill and Joe Colborne, Boston's top picks in 2007 and '08 respectively, also will suit up for the camp, which will be open to the public each day, Wednesday through Saturday beginning at 9 a.m.

The roster: Forwards (13): Jamie Arniel, Scott Campbell, Caron, Colborne, Mark Goggin, Hamill, Jason Lawrence, Jeff LoVecchio, Lane MacDermid, Tyler Randell, Yannick Riendeau, Max Sauve, and Ben Sexton; Defensemen (9): Alexandrov, Ryan Button, Tommy Cross, Alain Goulet, Mark Isherwood, Rob Kwiet, Brady Lamb, Zach McKelvie, and Tyler Ludwig; Goaltenders (3): Adam Courchaine, Matt Dalton, and Michael Hutchinson.

Cross (knee), Riendeau (shoulder), and McKelvie (shoulder) will not participate because of injuries.

All the campers are expected to be available for handshakes and autographs at the Cronin Skating Rink in Revere July 10 from 3-5 p.m.

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