The Boston Bruins’ plan of bringing back Patrice Bergeron and David Krejčí for one last ride panned out unquestionably. Unfortunately for the Bruins, they’ll need to pay a steep price for their decisions next season.
PuckPedia’s Hart Levine confirms in an article for Northstar Bets that Boston will face a $4.5MM cap penalty next season, created by performance bonus overages stemming from Bergeron and Krejčí’s unique contracts.
With Bergeron and Krejčí eligible to sign particular types of contracts reserved for players 35 or older, they’re also eligible to receive performance bonuses in their contract that are not incorporated into the cap hit of the deal. It operates in the same way as an entry-level contract, where rookies can earn millions of dollars per season based on their performance despite a six-figure cap hit.
That’s exactly what they did, with Bergeron’s contract entitling him to up to $2.5MM in bonuses, while Krejčí was eligible for up to $2MM. Thanks to Boston’s record-breaking season and subsequent playoff appearance, both players hit every benchmark required to receive all of their bonuses.
Unfortunately, since Boston used long-term injured reserve to stay cap compliant, they weren’t able to accommodate Bergeron and Krejčí’s performance bonuses under the cap at the end of the regular season. It means Boston, along with 14 other NHL teams (albeit with much smaller amounts), will have a cap charge next season equivalent to the amount of performance bonuses earned that the team couldn’t fit under the cap at the end of the season.
To put it plainly: if Bergeron and Krejčí don’t return to the team next season, Boston will have a greater cap charge next season than their combined cap hits this year ($3.5MM).
The cap is, again, expected to only creep up by a $1MM increment to an $83.5MM ceiling next year. Per CapFriendly, a $4.5MM bonus overage charge leaves Boston with just $5.288MM in space heading into the offseason, with most of their forward core needing new contracts.
I wouldn’t say “most of their forward core.” They will have to replace Bergeron & Krejci (if neither return) and if they want to re-sign Bertuzzi (FA) & Freddy (RFA), but most of the top-3 lines will be intact. And the 4th-line types on expiring deals can be happily replaced (Foligno, Nosek, Hathaway). The d-men (other than Orlov & Clifton) will all be back, which leaves Swayman as the biggest question mark unsigned.
don’t they still need to resign Pastrnak?
@NSco
No
link to prohockeyrumors.com
This year is a one shot deal for them. Swing for the fences. Who cares about next year. Kind of seems like this will be a normal thing in the NHL, going down the road. Go all in for a Cup, and kick everything else down the road.
He’s signed
”with just $5.288MM in space heading into the offseason, with most of their forward core needing new contracts.”
Bertuzzi will eat all that.
”Happily replaced” you say? Good luck.
It still works out in their favour over the 2yr period.
Next yr their will be at least 2 min contract forwards coming up from Providence, Steen and Lysell, do not as bad as could have been
Well … some might say that a glittering season this year was a good payoff, but there’s a much bigger reason to claim that the gamble was worth it. There was real and justified fear that David Pastrnak would hit the open market, but he’s been very jazzed playing on a line with Krecji and with the team’s success this year, and him signing the extension with Boston’s been thought to be at least partially attributable to that.
Coyotes are on the phone with Bettman now to see if they can trade for this penalty
Money buys greatness I guess…Just like the Yankees or Lakers…
What other teams are paying a penalty? Is Dallas one of them?