Boston Bruins 20 Best Contracts in the Salary Cap Era
When my best contracts book was published in 2020, the Boston Bruins finished #1 in average contract rank after completing my league-wide rankings for all 450 deals. Sure, the Penguins and Blackhawks won more championships, but the Bruins inked some remarkable bargains with some of the NHL’s best players. In a parallel universe where Patrice Bergeron was never born, Boston might have finished in the middle of the pack. They still rank #1 in 2023 and a big reason for that is trophy nominations (largely Selkes, Vezinas, and one MVP).
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. The trade of Tyler Seguin might have been the one mistake from which he could never recover, as it drew the ire of fans for years afterward.
Chiarelli was fired in 2015 after the Bruins missed the playoffs, and replaced with Don Sweeney, who has done a mostly fine job guiding the team to contention. When your leaders all take discounts, it is easier to get everyone else to do the same. Their near the high-end of total term and salary allotted, term over age 30, goalie wins, +/-, shots per 60 minutes and PTS per 60 minutes. Looking at their ranking report card below tells the story. Some of their deals defied Father Time.
This was originally published in my 2020 book Hunting Bargains in a Salary Cap World, and has now been updated with new contracts. I will continue to update each team’s list every summer going forward. The rule is that only active contracts can move up or down. Expired deals cannot pass each other (with a few exceptions). The book is still available on Amazon, though some of the stats on active contracts are now out of date. You may yet find it interesting because there were detailed stat graphics that you won't find here. One thing you won't find here are entry level contracts because they all come from the same cookie cutter and require less skill at the negotiating table.
Updated June 14, 2024: Adjusted for $88M cap and added 2023/24 stats to the 3 active contracts, none of which moved up or down (though Ullmark maybe should have moved down a couple spots, but he won the damned Vezina).
1. Tim Thomas
Adjusted Cap Hit: $29.25M, $7.3M (avg)
Value Returned: $17.3M, $4.3M (avg)
% Earned: 59%
"That’s a good investment, isn’t it?"
Tim Thomas was 32-years-old when he secured his first primary starting gig in the NHL. The ultimate late bloomer had just completed a miraculous 2009 season with 36 wins, 11 losses, a .933 SV% and 40 goals saved above average when Peter Chiarelli rolled the dice on a 4-year term to a 35-year-old player. In the event of an unexpected retirement, the money would still count against the Bruins salary cap. Thomas was awarded the Vezina trophy a few months after inking this ticket.
This ranked #1 on the Bruins list, above some future Hall of Fame inductees and ahead of David Pastrnak, because 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. Then he got even better in the playoffs, winning 16 games with a .940 SV%, raising the Stanley Cup and being named playoff MVP after defeating the Vancouver Canucks. Shortly afterwards he would win his second Vezina trophy, icing on the cake. Frankly, it doesn’t matter what happened after that. The old goalie did unexpectedly retire, but that’s irrelevant. The investment was still worth every penny and more.
2. David Pastrnak
Adjusted Cap Hit: $43.9M, $7.3M (avg)
Value Returned: $58.6M, $9.8M (avg)
% Earned: 133%
"It took time right up against it; there wasn't a deadline, we didn't look at it that way, there was a strong level of communication. And I just think the work paid off for both sides to find a good landing spot. "
David Pastrnak had a breakout season in the final year of his ELC, scoring 70 PTS after earning himself a permanent spot on the top line with Marchand and Bergeron. It took a few months before both sides agreed to this treaty in September (on the day training camp opened), accepting a deal very similar to Johnny Gaudreau and Filip Forsberg a year earlier. Pastrnak was fairly compensated for his production at the time, but what he failed to foresee was his ascension to an even higher level.
Year one he 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. Had this just been a 3-year deal, the Czech winger could have commanded Mitch Marner money on the open market. But he was also part of a team contending for a championship, nearly winning it all in 2019, on a roster with several other elite players taking discounts. It’s worth mentioning that he could have been UFA after 4 years (7 years of service), but forfeited 2 UFA seasons. Oh well, some guys care more about winning than money. He made plenty on his next deal, scroll down to read more.
3. Tyler Seguin
Adjusted Cap Hit: $43.9M, $7.1M (avg)
Value Returned: $61.7M, $10.3M (avg)
% Earned: 145%
"Tyler's a real good kid. I know I see the Twitter-verse, whatever it's called, and a lot of these reports about his extracurricular stuff, and I've made comments that due to his professionalism and acting more like a professional, but what has to be remembered in all this is that he's 21 years old."
Tyler Seguin was part of the roster that won the Stanley Cup for Boston, following up that title with a breakout 67-point season in 2012. Peter Chiarelli decided to lock him up to a 6-year extension a year before the expiry of Seguin’s ELC that would make him the highest paid forward on the team. Tyler 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.
Allegedly fed up with their “problem child”, the GM 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, scoring 464 PTS in 469 GP, averaging 36 goals and 81 PTS per 82 GP. Bruins fans have not stopped complaining about it since.
4. Bad Marchand
Adjusted Cap Hit: $52.9M, $6.6M (avg)
Value Returned: $74.2M, $9.3M (avg)
% Earned: 140%
“He’s got a great shot. He’s got speed, a lot of different things. But I think just the way he competes every shift you know that he’s able to generate a lot sometimes from nothing.”
Brad Marchand had just topped 60 PTS for the first time in his career at age 27 when Don Sweeney locked him into an 8-year extension in September, 10 months before he was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. Loui Eriksson had just departed for Vancouver, and Sweeney gave Marchand an extra $100K salary more than Loui, and 2 more years.
This was actually a risky investment at the time, as Brad would be turning 30-year-old after year one and 37 after it’s done. The veteran agitator had accumulated an abundance of hard miles on his odometer and was at significant risk of age decline. Before the ink even had dried on this new treaty, Marchand was introduced to David Pastrnak and elevated to a new plateau of performance, potting 85 PTS in the final year of his old deal.
It was about to get even better. After his 30th birthday, when many players struggle to elude Father Time, Brad 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 5 years of this pact, Marchand averaged 102 PTS per 82 GP.
5. Zdeno Chara
Adjusted Cap Hit: $62.5M, $12.5M (avg)
Value Returned: $48.4M, $9.7M (avg)
% Earned: 78%
"I want to lead this team by setting a good example with my work ethic, drive, dedication and discipline."
Rarely do teams win a Stanley Cup on July 1st, but this was one such example. When the Ottawa Senators were unable to come to terms with the 6’9 Slovakian (who had just scored 43 PTS and averaged 27.2 minutes per game), Peter Chiarelli came calling. The price was steep, with a year one adjusted salary of $14.1M, more than anyone should ever pay a defenseman, unless we’re talking about a future Hall of Fame talent.
The first year was mildly disappointing with the Bruins missing the playoffs. While we’ve seen other big men depreciate quickly with age, Chara proved to be a fitness freak who maintained elite effectiveness long past his expected expiration date. 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.
It’s not Nick Lidstrom, but still an inspiring defiance of the aging process. In the final year of the contract, Boston finally won the Stanley Cup. Bingo. Over these 5 years, Chara averaged 26.3 minutes of ice time per game while putting up 232 PTS in 398 GP with another 22 PTS in 55 playoff GP. This doesn’t rank very high on the “bargain scale”, as the Bruins did overpay for the stat line, but you can’t argue with the results.
6. Patrice Bergeron
Adjusted Cap Hit: $63.7M, $8.0M (avg)
Value Returned: $65.8M, $8.2M (avg)
% Earned: 103%
"I started my career as a Bruin, they're the team that believed in me as an 18-year-old coming in, and now I'm really happy now to say I will hopefully retire a Bruin"
Patrice Bergeron had finished top 4 in Selke trophy voting for 3 consecutive seasons (winning in 2012) before signing this extension in 2013. While his offensive numbers had been modest but not impressive, there is no question that Patrice could have scored a substantially bigger contract had he tested unrestricted free agency. Jonathan Toews would sign an extension for $29M more one year later.
It’s plausible that Patrice was so hungry for a second Cup that he was willing to accept a discount allowing Sweeney to ice a more competitive team around him. Whereas Toews had won more trophies and was probably less concerned about crippling his team’s finances. The Blackhawks Captain never won a Selke (or a playoff series) on his new contract, whereas Patrice would win 2 more Selkes, in 2015 and 2017.
Then in year four at age 32, he scored 63 PTS in 64 GP, the highest scoring rate of his NHL career. He had some injury issues, but was fantastic when healthy, also adding 37 PTS in 41 playoff GP. David Pastrnak deserves some credit for Bergeron’s renaissance, but it’s also fair to say that Pastrnak might not have been quite as dominant without the influence of his captain.
7. Joe Thornton
Adjusted Cap Hit: $40.0M, $13.3M (avg)
Value Returned: $45.8M, $15.3M (avg)
% Earned: 115%
"Joe is a huge component of our quest for a championship, to bring the Stanley Cup back. We feel that he is one of the dominant players in the National Hockey League. We are very, very happy to get this done."
Joe Thornton had already topped the 100-point threshold with the Bruins prior to the 2005 lockout and had firmly established himself as an elite offensive player and team captain, before inking this ticket. The year one cap hit was equivalent to $14.1M in 2022, so the big guy didn’t exactly take a discount.
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. The move still gets ridiculed 15 years later as one of the worst trades of the salary cap era.
Joe would finish that season with 125 PTS, winning the Hart trophy as league MVP. O’Connell was fired before Joe could collect his award, and never ran another NHL team again. Thornton would finish this contract with 335 PTS in 245 GP (a 112-point pace), plus 30 PTS in 35 playoff GP. Bruins fans still lament the loss of Jumbo all these years later.
8. Tim Thomas
Adjusted Cap Hit: $5.7M, $1.9M (avg)
Value Returned: $18.3M, $6.1M (avg)
% Earned: 321%
“I’m 35. At 31, I was thinking to myself that I’m going to be playing in Finland for the rest of my career. This is a long way from where I was.”
Tim Thomas had only ever played 4 games in the NHL before emerging as Boston’s best goalie in the 2006 season (posting 19 goals saved above average in 38 GP), prompting management to trade Andrew Raycroft to Toronto for Tuukka Rask. Mike O’Connell secured Tim’s autograph on a 3-year treaty at a fair price considering the lack of experience. Thomas had to feel that he won the lottery at age 32 after such a long road to the NHL, but his best was yet to come.
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.
9. Patrice Bergeron
Adjusted Cap Hit: $20.6M, $6.9M (avg)
Value Returned: $23.4M, $7.8M (avg)
% Earned: 114%
“This is a good, solid platform for Patrice to regain and redevelop his offensive game and I know he can do it”
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, and could have hit the open market right after winning the Stanley Cup. Strange that a player with a concussion history would only take a 3-year term when he had the opportunity to hit a home run in free agency.
Granted, he didn’t know that he was about to win the Cup and probably thought the injury history would prevent him from cashing in a lottery ticket. Not only did Bergeron win the Stanley Cup in 2011 (on the final year of his previous deal), but he won 2 Selke trophies. There certainly weren’t any health concerns by his next contract, which was still far less money than it could have been if greed were his motivating factor.
10. Torey Krug
Adjusted Cap Hit: $24.1M, $6.0M (avg)
Value Returned: $28.9M, $7.2M (avg)
% Earned: 120%
“Torey’s got a very, very unique skill set that’s important to our hockey club. He’s had a very, very productive three years. His role this year and his time on ice, in all situations, increased significantly. He was able to shoulder much, much more responsibility in all parts of the game.”
Torey Krug had recorded 3 consecutive seasons with at least 39 PTS when he signed this 4-year deal at age 25 very close to what Sami Vatanen had signed 2 weeks earlier. Krug could have become UFA in 2 years but opted to accept a term that delayed his unrestricted status until age 29.
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. This set the table for Tyson Barrie, who signed a similar pact a month later. The problem from Krug’s perspective is timing it to become UFA at age 29, but fortunately he was able to solicit a big ticket from the St Louis Blues despite an economic downturn.
11. Brad Marchand
Adjusted Cap Hit: $23.1M, $5.8M (avg)
Value Returned: $30.1M, $7.5M (avg)
% Earned: 130%
"We all enjoy watching Brad play. As a general manager I really enjoying watching him play"
Brad Marchand signed this extension following the 2012 season where he scored 59 PTS in 77 GP, receiving a fair price for that level of production. The little ball of hate forfeited 2 potential years of unrestricted free agency, delaying his opportunity to score a giant pay day until age 29 (spoiler alert: he banked $49M).
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. It wasn’t that he suddenly found his scoring touch, but rather firing significantly more shot attempts, crushing his previous career high in shots by 70.
By the final year of this deal, Marchand was a point per game player getting mentioned in the Hart trophy conversation.
12. Patrice Bergeron
Adjusted Cap Hit: $39.5M, $7.9M (avg)
Value Returned: $28.0M, $5.6M (avg)
% Earned: 71%
“He is an offensive threat every time he is on the ice, has great defensive instincts, and he plays a physical game without taking a lot of penalties. With all that he has already accomplished, he will continue to grow as a player and we are very pleased that he will do so in a Bruins uniform."
Patrice Bergeron scored 73 PTS (while ripping 310 shots on goal) in 2006 at age 20 to earn himself this contract. It certainly wasn’t cheap give his age and lack of arbitration rights, but he was still on track to earn that money before a major concussion sustained in November 2007 that 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. Infact they could rename the top defensive forward trophy “the Patrice Bergeron Trophy” 20 years from now and it would make perfect sense. In the final year, Patrice played a pivotal role in the 2011 Stanley Cup championship.
13. Charlie McAvoy
Adjusted Cap Hit: $15.9M, $5.3M (avg)
Value Returned: $23.8M, $7.9M (avg)
% Earned: 150%
"I just think to find a common ground that everybody seeks to finalize a deal, it puts Charlie in a situation where he can take this platform and really launch himself into the player we all believe he is and will become, both on and off the ice, incorporating leadership qualities he exhibits as well.”
Over the first 2 years of his NHL career, Charlie McAvoy produced like a 40-point defenseman, but had problems staying healthy. Many prognosticators were making generous appraisals of Charlie’s value, like Ken Campbell at the Hockey News saying he deserved the same contract as Aaron Ekblad in Florida (my own prediction was 7-years $6.1M AAV). With the Bruins having limited cap space available, McAvoy decided to take a discount at $4.3M AAV, far less than anyone predicted.
What made the young defenseman so willing to accept the discount? It was among the new class of “front-diving” RFA contracts invented by Timo Meier that would force the Bruins to give him a $7.3M qualifying offer in 2022 (spoiler alert, he got a lot more than that). On almost any other team, this would be top 5, the Bruins list is just stacked.
14. David Krejci
Adjusted Cap Hit: $16.6M, $5.5M (avg)
Value Returned: $21.3M, $7.1M (avg)
% Earned: 129%
“His game has really grown. He’s a very proud guy who has really, consciously made an effort to get better without the puck. I just love the fact that he gets mad when he gets beaten in battles. He’s only going to improve.”
The final year of David Krejci’s ELC produced an impressive 73 PTS, which should have yielded a bigger pay day. The Czeck center lacked arbitration rights and had only completed one full season in the NHL. He needed to prove that his success was not a fluke. Krejci would accept a cheaper contract than Jordan Staal had been paid a few months earlier for a 49-point season, when he was easily worth $1.5M more.
While David’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. There were more Krejci deals in contention for this list, it was just a competitive catalogue to crack.
15. Linus Ullmark
Adjusted Cap Hit: $20.9M, $5.2M (avg)
Value Returned: $22.5M, $5.6M (avg)
% Earned: 107%
Ullmark’s first season in Boston was respectable, but he fell into a platoon with back-up Jeremy Swayman, as the two split the workload equally. The problem wasn’t so much Ullmark’s play, but rather his pay grade, the type of money you would typically be paying to a legitimate #1 starter. It did take him some time to get comfortable playing behind this Bruins team, but once he did, it was lightning in a bottle. Yes, he was playing behind a roster winning at a historical pace, but part of what made them “historical” was the outstanding goaltending, as Ullmark won the Vezina trophy in year two.
16. Tuukka Rask
Adjusted Cap Hit: $66.9M, $8.4M (avg)
Value Returned: $41.9M, $5.2M (avg)
% Earned: 63%
"I don't think I have to answer those questions anymore. I played good, proved (to) everyone again that I was capable of doing it. I mean, you look at the numbers. They're good. If I just analyze my game and by how I felt throughout the year, I thought it was a great year."
Tuukka Rask had spent most of his career to this point as the back-up goalie to Tim Thomas, before the eccentric veteran abruptly retired, ceding the net to Tuukka for the lockout shortened 2013 season. Rask made the most of the opportunity, posting a .929 SV% and helping the Bruins advance to the Stanley Cup final. Chiarelli locked up his goalie long-term, at a similar salary as Cam Ward accepted 4 years earlier.
Year one of this deal was even better, with the Finn winning 36 of 58 games with a .930 SV% and being 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. Regardless of how those fans feel about this rank, their goalie won a Vezina and also played 54 playoff games with a .923 SV% over this span. If anything, he belongs higher on the list.
17. David Pastrnak
Adjusted Cap Hit: $90.6M, $11.3M (avg)
Value Returned: $79.1M, $9.9M (avg)
% Earned: 87%
There is a leap of faith required declaring an 8-year treaty to be a success when it’s only just begun, but I’m comfortable making that declaration. Pastrnak is among the league’s top snipers who has proven he can put numbers on the board regardless of linemates. He gets a 91% score in PTS per 60m, and a 99% score at even strength. This does not expire until age 35, so it’s likely that by the end he’ll be overpaid (otherwise he’d be higher on the list), plus the retirement of Bergeron and the continued aging of Brad Marchand may diminish the long-term outlook. But right now, he’s worth every penny. The longer his offense sustains, the higher this will move up the list.
18. Brad Marchand
Adjusted Cap Hit: $6.9M, $3.5M (avg)
Value Returned: $14.4M, $7.2M (avg)
% Earned: 207%
It’s a testament to how stacked the Bruins best contract list is that this deal is only ranked 18th, as it might be top 5 with some other teams. What’s remarkable/confusing about this price tag is that it came a few months after Boston won the Stanley Cup with Marchand contributing 19 PTS in the playoffs. Though he did only score 41 PTS that regular season, which brought an expected free agent value approximate to this cap hit. He got paid what a 40-point scorer should get paid, it’s just strange that there was no championship bonus. Champions are generally really tight to the cap, so that may be why he agreed to this sum, to try and keep the band together. The winger was only a 60ish-point player for these 2 years, as he had not ascended to the elite production level just yet (due to limited power play time), but he was outstanding at even strength.
19. Dr. Mark Recchi
Adjusted Cap Hit: $2.9M, $2.9M (avg)
Value Returned: $4.6M, $4.6M (avg)
% Earned: 158%
Mark Recchi defied the standard aging curve and maintained steady production through his late 30s, but finally took a step backwards in 2010 at age 41, helping the Bruins retain him at a cheaper price than his stat line deserved. This was the highest scoring season of any 42-year-old forward in the entire salary cap era, helping Boston capture their first Stanley Cup in decades (chipping in 14 playoff PTS). But he might be best known for his medical expertise when observing that Max Pacioretty was embellishing his broken neck that led to a Zdeno Chara suspension.
20. Dennis Wideman
Adjusted Cap Hit: $23.5M, $5.9M (avg)
Value Returned: $31.5M, $7.9M (avg)
% Earned: 134%
Dennis Wideman was traded to Boston in February 2007 for Brad Boyes, but his Bruins career started off slow with only 3 PTS in his final 20 GP that season. But when he returned in October, the Bruins jacked up his ice time to 25 minutes a game as he scored 36 PTS, before signing this contract (at a cheaper price than what that stat line should have been worth). By year one, he was a 50-point defenseman playing at an undeniable discount. The only catch was that most of the production was coming with the man advantage, while his 5v5 PTS per 60 minutes was below average.