“I think it’s something I’ve changed my stance on a little bit,’’ said Chiarelli, noting during the news conference Thursday to announce Savard’s deal that he is being more proactive in dealing with his pending free agents. “It’s just a function of the salary cap and the younger free agency years.’’

But it is also a function, Chiarelli later conceded, of how the Phil Kessel negotiations played out earlier this year.

Kessel, back in town last night with Toronto (in case you somehow missed that), ultimately was shoveled to the Leafs during training camp, Chiarelli left with little choice but to acquiesce to Leafs GM Brian Burke’s offer of a pair of first-round draft picks as well as a second-rounder. In the end, Kessel, by Chiarelli’s read, wanted out of Boston, and he specifically wanted Toronto, which had him on the hook for a five-year, $27 million offer, some $15 million and two years more than the Bruins wanted to fork out for a three-year pro with a career total of 66 goals.

Ultimately, Kessel and the Leafs dictated Boston’s business. Sure, Chiarelli could have refused to deal, and opted instead to match a Toronto offer sheet, but he was of no mind or cash position to pay Kessel $5.4 million a year, or perhaps more. Had Kessel signed an offer sheet and Chiarelli opted for the compensation, the return would have been only a first-, second-, and third-round pick. The offer Burke extended - and Chiarelli finally accepted - was tantamount to an offer sheet that would have paid Kessel in the $6 million-$7.5 million bracket.

“Painted into a corner,’’ is how Chiarelli portrays the process.

Now we have a GM who since has gone on to tie up Savard and Lucic for a total cap hit of about $8 million. If he were to keep up his proactive post-Kessel agenda, he today could extend the deals of free agents-to-be Shawn Thornton and Andrew Ference. If those deals aren’t forthcoming in fairly short order, then it might mean one or both are gone after this season.

According to a pro scout of one Eastern Conference club, “Ference’s name has come across our desk repeatedly for trade in recent weeks.’’ Which could explain, in part, why rookie defenseman Johnny Boychuk stuck around for two-plus months before the Bruins last week finally sent him to Providence for conditioning.

Beyond Ference and Thornton, the Bruins also have Mark Recchi, Steve Begin, Derek Morris, and Boychuk on course to be free agents July 1. But because they are all on one-year deals, signed this summer, the CBA dictates that they can’t be extended until Jan. 1 at the earliest. Of greater concern is the group - including Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Michael Ryder, and Marco Sturm - on course to reach the UFA threshold July 1, 2011. They can be re-signed anytime after this coming July 1, which could add more spice to what in recent years has become hockey’s most interesting day on the calendar.

Chiarelli, while acknowledging that the Kessel experience convinced him to speed up his pace in the Lucic and Savard talks, noted that he has a history of dealing ahead of the curve on his free agents. In February 2007, he signed Sturm to a four-year deal ($3.5 million average), well ahead of the July 1 UFA date. For weeks prior to trading Brad Stuart to Calgary, also in February 2007, he attempted to lock up the defenseman on a long-term deal for around $5 million a year.

“But he wanted to be on the West Coast,’’ said Chiarelli, who flipped Stuart for Ference and Chuck Kobasew. “So, while it [the Kessel experience] certainly prompted me a little, it’s not like it’s the first time. The main distinction in all of this - and I’ve said this many times - is that the player didn’t want to be here. And that’s a huge distinction.’’

Beginning next year, young stars Toews and Kane each will pocket an average of $6.3 million for five years. Their annual payouts will be identical: $6.5 million, $6 million, $6 million, $6.5 million, and $6.5 million. Compared with the likes of, say, the Sedin twins (Henrik and Daniel) in Vancouver, or Anaheim’s Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, or Anze Kopitar in Los Angeles, the Kane-Towes payouts are right on the money. Solid value.

However, Keith’s deal is beyond extravagant, all the worse given that fellow Hawks back liner Brian Campbell is hauling in a bloated $7.14 million through 2013-14. Grossly overpriced.

Keith, 26, will earn an average of $7.913 million over the first four years, $7.55 million for the next two years, $5.5 million for another two, $4 million for two more, and then slightly more than $2 million for the final three. Total: 13 years/$72 million, for a cap hit of $5.54 million. If you’re still holding on to your calculator, it exceeds the 12-year/$62.8 million deal, in both gross dollars and cap hit, that career marksman Marian Hossa pocketed with the Hawks in July.

OK, it’s a good bet that neither Keith nor Hossa will reach full term on their deals. If Keith retires after 10 years, he’ll have earned just under $66 million. They’ve still paid out huge money for a guy who, though well-conditioned and both a solid citizen and performer, is by no means considered an elite NHL defenseman. OK, they like him, and most teams have a guy like that - someone hauling in A-list money for what most of the world perceives as something less than A-list talent.

But Keith, even if out in the free agent market July 1, 2010, would not have commanded a $72 million commitment from anyone. The circumstances are reminiscent, in ways, of the five-year, $39 million deal Brad Richards inked with Tampa in the summer of 2006 prior to his becoming a free agent. We were all left to wonder, why? By February 2008, Richards was dealt to Dallas, a precursor to GM Jay Feaster resigning that July. Coincidence? We think not.

No question, the Hawks want to win and win tomorrow, if not sooner. But there is a fine line between the aggressive securing of assets and wanton overpayment. Not to mention the sticky work ahead for rookie GM Stan Bowman, who will have to move some salary off the books (Brent Sopel? Patrick Sharp? Cam Barker?) to make it all work under the 2010-11 cap.

Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at dupont@globe.com; material from personal interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report.