It's tough to tell which installment of the "making sense of the Marc Savard situation" this may be, because quite frankly, there have been so many developments or rumors surrounding the center since the summer that one couldn't be blamed for losing count. Such is the nature with these things.

Even so, this week has served as a reminder to all that until Savard, currently out with post-concussion syndrome symptoms, is spotted on the ice -- even in a practice jersey -- chatter is sure to surround the veteran pivot. 

First were the trade rumors. If a player was speculated to be on the move to Boston, fans were trained over the summer to assume Savard would go in the deal. As it became clearer that Savard would likely stay in Boston, so too emerged the news that he was "hurt" by the idea of the Bruins shopping or taking calls on him.

Then came the not-so-news that the NHL was iffy about the seven-year contract extension he signed back in December. Because the deal circumvented the salary cap, the possibly existed that Savard's $28.5 million pact could be voided. In the end, the agreement between the NHLPA and the league led to the end of the investigation.

Throughout the summer, the team was generally mum on Savard. When his name came up in conference calls or in media scrums, it yielded the standard answer that teams don't address trade rumors each time. Chiarelli initially intimated that Savard wouldn't be at the team's golf tournament because he had loose ends to tie up back at home in Ottawa. When the contract investigation came to light, the GM notified the media that it had been going on since the deal's signing and that the team was cooperating with the league.

Nothing, however, was more open-and-shut than Chiarelli's rejection of a Tuesday night report citing a team source as saying Savard "could" be out for the season and that his situation with the team was "complex." That same night, Chiarelli told season ticket holders that the center would be back "in short order." That wasn't the end of the GM's talk regarding the center that night though, as he spoke to clarify his point shortly after.

“It’s not normally my practice to respond to stories like that unless I feel like it’s completely contradictory to what I said, which is the case here,” Chiarelli said. “We issued that statement saying that everything is the same as it was when we started the camp with Marc, and when there’s a change, I’ll be the one to update [the media] and there has been no change. The notion that he’s going to miss the whole year and [that] it’s this complex issue frankly is far from the truth."

Though uncertainty remains, the truest statement that has come from the past week is one that has been said by everybody, from players to talk show hosts and everyone in between: projecting anything when a concussion is involved is a tricky game. The Bruins obviously would not have let a man they planned on having on the books for the next seven years play if they were concerned it could cause him long-term damage.

Now that his trade value is nonexistent, it's quite clear that Savard is in the Bruins' plans, but for when? After all, Savard doesn't need to miss the season for his PCS symptoms to affect the Bruins.

"Any time missed from camp for Savvy will have to be made up from pure conditioning," Chiarelli said last Friday after the team completed fitness testing.

Now, without trying to speculate, here is what we do know about the situation: Savard needs to get both cleared to work out and then get ready for hopefully a long season of hockey (for what it's worth, both Milan Lucic and Chiarelli said he was training harder than ever in the offseason). This could mean that, at least to begin the season, the Bruins might be looking at David Krejci as their top center and potentially Zach Hamill as the third-line pivot.

Tyler Seguin has seen time at both wings and at center so far in training camp and the preseason, but it's hard not to think he doesn't begin the season to the left of Patrice Bergeron on the second line, with Mark Recchi on the other wing. Though Seguin figures to ultimately be a franchise center, nobody loses in this scenario. Seguin himself has expressed a willingness to play either position, and if he were to start at center with the city expecting him to make up Savard's production, the pressure of being a top pick would end up playing second fiddle to the pressure of replacing a superstar.

As for Hamill, he may not be the young right-handed center that's gotten all the attention this summer, but it might be interesting to see what he can do if called upon as a top-nine forward as the Bruins await Savard's return. Now 22 years of age, the eighth overall pick in the 2007 draft has ample AHL experience and says he's bulked up for this camp. The downside is that his 70 total points over two seasons of 65 or more games at Providence don't scream "Top 10 pick."

The moral of the story is that the Bruins are a significantly better offense with Savard, especially if he's setting up Nathan Horton. As was made very clear this week, it's anybody's guess as to when that will be, but the Bruins are far from a lost cause without him. The talent brought in hasn't changed, and the way he's going, Horton looks primed for a career year no matter who's centering him. That potential Seguin-Bergeron-Recchi line is just intriguing. There is every reason to expect bigger and better things from their offensive unit, even if they're forced to wait for their top center. 

Until then, they, and everyone else in Boston, will wait. Such is the nature with these things.