The Boston Bruins may be in one of the toughest salary cap situation of all teams as the team still has to sign one of their top defensemen to a contract in Charlie McAvoy. The team might have some serious issues in signing him, however, who doesn’t have the offer sheet capability that most of the other RFA’s remaining have and has even less negotiating power than most of the others. Unfortunately, that could be an issue for the Bruins.
In fact, NHL Tonight’s Brian Lawton suggests that the Bruins have a number of issues working against them when it comes to signing McAvoy. Perhaps most challenging is the fact that they have just $7.29MM in projected cap space remaining (although with certain roster moves, that could improve to about $9MM) and McAvoy could be asking for quite a bit after another impressive season. Despite injuries being an issue for a second straight season, he still put up seven goals and 28 points in 54 games and looks to be developing into a potential No. 1 defenseman. While it does sound like there is money to work out a deal, the Bruins also have RFA defenseman Brandon Carlo waiting on a new deal as well, who won’t be cheap either. With so little cap space, Boston is going to be forced to make a roster move to fit both into their salary cap and it’s likely that the team might have to settle for a bridge deal with McAvoy due to their salary cap issues.
Lawton also point out that Boston has a number of moving parts as the team may be forced to place some of their veterans on LTIR when the season starts as it’s already been reported that Kevan Miller doesn’t expect to be ready for the start of the season, while there is also talk that David Backes might start the season on LTIR as well, which could free up some money.
- NBC Sports’ Joe Haggerty debunks the rumor that the Bruins have been shopping defensman Torey Krug this summer. In speaking to President Cam Neely, Haggerty reports the team isn’t ready to unload the 28-year-old defenseman who will hit unrestricted free agency next season and could conceivably walk away after this year. It makes sense, however, that rumors persist about a potential trade when the team hasn’t locked him up and with the team’s salary cap issues. However, Neely made it quite clear that Krug is staying. “It’s the delicate balance you have,” Neely said. “You’ll have players on expiring contracts and we talk internally about what we’re going to do and how it’s all going to pan out. With Torey he’s one of the top PP defensemen in the league and our power play has been pretty damn good, and has won a lot of games for us. [Matt] Grzelcyk is coming along, but I don’t know if he sees the ice the way that Torey does. And Charlie just hasn’t shown that he’s a No. 1 power-play defenseman just yet.”
- The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa (subscription required) writes that Boston should also pick up a significant advantage next season due to one of the new rule changes this offseason. The board of governors, general managers and competition agreed to allow teams to choose what side teams want to face off on in the shorthanded zone during power plays. That should give Boston a significant advantage as center Patrice Bergeron is a dominant faceoff specialist on the right-side of the ice, which should give Boston even more scoring opportunities next year. Bergeron took 62 percent of the team’s power play faceoffs.
I’m sorry but the team must move Krug now. It should have been done at the draft, instead everyone else in the league made moves. Krug at that time would have given the Bruins a huge return because of his playoff run. He had a very solid playoff run, but the bottom line is the Bruins got run over by the Blues, it went to seven games but should have been over in 6 with Boston winning if only they had more size on the blue line and if the coach would have made the 3rd line his top line. We lost one of those players for LESS than what he made with the Bruins, (that’s ANOTHER bad none move by the GM), how in the hell do you let go of a player that wanted to stay, for less money than he made while being in Boston, and a player that the Bruins have been looking to get for years now. One move would have made that all happen, AND sign the 2 Dman that this team can’t afford to lose!!!! One move could have done it. That’s moving Krug!!! A player that won’t be here after this season unless he stays for $2 million per less than what he makes now!!! That’s not happening but this team can’t be flat out terribly stupid and pay him $8-$10 million per that he’s going to command as a UFA. Why is it that EVERYONE outside of Boston talks about this all the time??? But they don’t see it that way. Instead of making a move that would have really made things much easier, another huge mistake will be made and put this team so behind everyone else it won’t be funny or fun for years to come. Hard choices must be made and should have been made last month. Instead, you’ve lost a winger that fit great here, you have 2 very important players still not signed going into a season were your “core” players are another year older, and missing players going into camp. On top of that, Toronto revamped there D big time and will be better. Tampa always gets better with no cap space, but always make the moves. And don’t look now, but teAms below seem to be retooling much better and smarter than the Bruins are. This isn’t something new. It’s time to wake up and make the hard but right moves so we can win another cup and not get run over by a less than top team. Last year was a gift that won’t be given again. It all was there and instead of taking it, you got ran over. That will sting forever. But it will sting much more if you continue to make bad choices by screwing more things up.
You were dropped on your head as child weren’t you. Lol.
He misunderstood what “comment” meant and wrote a novel instead.
He’s got some good points in that essay
I get a lot of messages for 1/7 of what he wrote that my comments are monitored or something like that now he has me all befuddled. as they saying goes for the novelist mentioned above- you done fell and bumped yo’ head.
Go Black Hawks !!!!!!
You must be befuddled, you make little sense
Thank you for the compliment dummie !
gotta tradr Carlo