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Is Tuukka Rask ready to be the Boston Bruins starting goaltender?

It’s officially Tuukka’s team–for now, anyways.

The Boston Bruins re-signed Tuukka Rask to a one-year, $3.5 million deal making him, officially, the team’s starting goaltender for the 2012-13 season. Rask, a restricted free agent, gets a significant raise from last season’s $1.5 million salary.

It’s a curious agreement, at first glance. Rask has been aptly-named the goaltender of the future for the Bruins since he was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs for Andrew Raycroft back on June 24, 2006. The once-highly touted prospect has had to deal with Tim Thomas’ brilliance in net as well as injuries over the past two seasons. Now that he’s healthy and Thomas is out of the picture, it seems as if the starter’s role is Rask’s to lose.

So, why the short-term deal?