- Charlie McAvoy’s next contract is projected to land near $15MM as the market for No. 1 defensemen climbs
- Boston has McAvoy at $9.5MM through 2029-30 and roughly $5.39MM in cap space right now
- Read below for the full breakdown of the Bruins cap sheet, from Zacha to Pastrnak
Charlie McAvoy’s next contract could start with a 1 and a 5.
Pro Hockey Rumors published its salary cap deep dive on the Bruins and pegged Boston’s top blueliner at around $15MM whenever he hits the open market, with room to climb higher if the price on legitimate No. 1 defensemen rises faster than expected. McAvoy is locked in at $9.5MM through 2029-30 on the eight-year, $76 million extension he signed back in October 2021.
That projection stopped sounding outrageous this summer. Quinn Hughes is reportedly in line for something around $19 million a year in Minnesota, and once one deal resets the ceiling, every name underneath it drifts upward.
The short-term math is tighter. Boston is carrying $98,609,583 against a $104MM upper limit, which leaves about $5.39MM in space with restricted free agent Matthew Poitras still unsigned. A one-year bridge for Poitras should clear the league minimum without eating much of that room.
There are plenty of new faces to sort through first. JJ Peterka was the big summer addition at $7.7MM, Will Borgen arrived on the back end, and Connor Clifton and Sean Kuraly are back in the room. Check out the sweater numbers the Bruins made official earlier this month:
Clifton spoke with the team about coming back to the Black and Gold.
“It is really exciting for me and my family to be back in Boston,” Clifton said. “I can’t wait to hit the ice.”
Pavel Zacha is the bigger decision waiting on Don Sweeney. Acquired four years ago for Erik Haula, the 29-year-old put up a career-high 65 points last season even as his ice time dropped by more than two minutes a night, and a jump toward $8MM looks realistic when his $4.75MM deal expires. Casey Mittelstadt, Kuraly, Michael Eyssimont and goaltender Michael DiPietro are also unrestricted next summer.
Two contracts on the books already look like steals. David Pastrnak has hit 100 points in four straight seasons at $11.5MM, and every other player who has done that makes more than he does. Morgan Geekie has scored 72 goals over the past two years at $5.5MM.
James Hagens is the wild card. Boston’s top prospect got a brief look late last season, and how quickly the Bruins hand him top-six minutes will decide whether his second contract is a modest bridge or the priciest deal on the sheet.
