The following is a condensed preview of the Boston Bruins chapter of my new book, Hunting Bargains in a Salary Cap World. If you purchase the book, you will receive a much more in-depth analysis of all these contracts, including year-by-year statistics, a customized “basket of comparables”, and memorable quotes from players, GMs, and coaches. Below is just a tiny sample of what’s in the book. The eBook file size was abnormally large because of all the customed graphics (previewed below), so my royalty is small relative to the price. Here you will receive the smaller, condensed version.
Boston Bruins Best Contracts
Peter Chiarelli ran
the Bruins for 9 years and guided the team to a Stanley Cup victory in 2011.
Before Peter’s reputation was demolished in Edmonton, he was a successful
steward who autographed championship contracts. Yes, there were a few blights
on his record in Boston, but otherwise he made some brilliant moves.
Entry level contracts not included.
This ranked #1 on the Bruins list, above some future Hall of Fame inductees and ahead of David Pasternak, because Tim Thomas registered one of the greatest single seasons in the salary cap era, with a .938 SV% and 46 goals saved above average in 57 regular season games played, winning the Stanley Cup and being named playoff MVP after defeating the Vancouver Canucks.
Year one David Pasternak jumped up to 80 PTS in 82 GP (plus 20 PTS in 12 playoff games). Year two; 81 PTS in 66 GP (a 101-point pace, plus 19 more PTS in the playoffs). By year three he scored 48 goals and 95 PTS in 70 GP, finding himself in the Hart trophy conversation.
Tyler Seguin took a slight step backwards in the lockout shortened 2013 season, as stories about a hard-partying lifestyle started to surface, including rumours that Chiarelli hired a security guard tasked with ensuring the youngster didn’t party during the playoffs. He was shipped him off to Dallas that summer for Loui Eriksson. Seguin never played a game in Boston under this contract, evolving into an elite player for the Stars.
After his 30th birthday, when many players struggle to elude Father Time, Brad Marchand walked right up and licked him in the face, scoring 100 PTS in 2019 (with an additional 23 PTS in 24 playoff GP). Over the first 3 years of this pact, Marchand has averaged 103 PTS per 82 GP.
Rarely do teams win a
Stanley Cup on July 1st, but this was one such example. By
year two at age 30, Chara posted 51 PTS and earned a Norris trophy nomination.
The big man would eventually win the award as best defenseman a few months
after his 32nd birthday.
Patrice won a pair of Selke Trophies in 2015 and 2017. In year four at age 32, he scored 63 PTS in 64 GP, the highest scoring rate of his NHL career. He’s had some injury issues over the past 3 seasons, but has been fantastic when healthy, also adding 37 PTS in 41 playoff GP.
Through the first 23 games of the 2005/06 campaign, Jumbo had already netted an impressive 33 PTS when O’Connell shocked the hockey world (especially Bruins fans) by trading his best player to the San Jose Sharks for 35 cents on the dollar. Joe would finish that season with 125 PTS, winning the Hart trophy as league MVP.
Timmy did see his save percentage drop in year one as he took on a heavy workload of 66 games. When they lessened the load to under 60 games in years two and three, he blossomed, registering a remarkable 62 goals saved above average. Thomas would win the Vezina trophy in year three, earning himself a much bigger ticket at age 35.
Patrice Bergeron signed a 3-year extension in October 2010 when he was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Not only did Bergeron win the Stanley Cup a few months later (on the final year of his previous deal), but he went on to win 2 Selke trophies.
Krug elevated his offensive output to an even higher level over this span, scoring 62 PTS per 82 GP, also notching 30 PTS in 35 playoff GP. This was like getting a defenseman worth $7.7M AAV for $5.6M, multiplied by 4 years.
Marchand’s scoring rate declined over the first 2 years before he reversed the trend and experienced an offensive renaissance. In year three he crushed his previous career high in goals by potting 37 tucks. By the final year of this deal, Marchand was a point per game player getting mentioned in the Hart trophy conversation.
A major concussion sustained in November 2007 cost him the remainder of that season. Upon his return, Bergeron’s scoring output and ice time were reduced, but he did become a perennial Selke trophy nominee. In the final year, Patrice played a pivotal role in the 2011 Stanley Cup championship.
With the Bruins having limited cap space available, McAvoy decided to take a discount at $4.3M AAV, far less than anyone predicted. It was among the new class of “front-diving” RFA contracts invented by Timo Meier that will force the Bruins to give him a $7.3M qualifying offer in 2022.
While David Krejci’s scoring output did regress in year one, he quickly earned full value in 2011 when Boston won the Stanley Cup with Krejci scoring 23 PTS in 25 playoff GP. Over the full 3-year span, the center averaged 62 PTS per 82 GP while playing 18.5 minutes per game.
In year one of this deal Rask won 36 of 58 games with a .930 SV% and was named the best goalie in the NHL. Most of the remaining years were decidedly average while still collecting an elite pay cheque, which drew the ire of a segment of Bruins fans.
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