The Bruins announced today, September 15th, that they have resigned RFA defenseman to a three-year contract worth $14.7 million ($4.9 million AAV). McAvoy appeared in 54 games for the Bruins last season, in which he produced seven goals and 21 assists. He then played in 23 of the team’s playoff games on their run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, through which he tallied two goals and six assists. Drafted 14th overall of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Bruins, McAvoy has appeared in 117 career NHL games, over which he has recorded 14 goals and 46 assists. The 21-year-old defenseman has only played for the Bruins organization over his three season NHL and professional career after he turned pro following his sophomore season at Boston University in 2016-17.
Full Contract Breakdown:
- 2019-20: $1.2 million base salary, $2.5 million signing bonus.
- 2020-21: $2.7 million base salary, $1 million signing bonus.
- 2022-23: $7.3 million base salary.
My Reaction: He’s back! This is a steal! Don Sweeney is a genius! Okay, time for me to form an intelligent thought. This contract is undoubtedly a steal for the Bruins, and I honestly didn’t expect it to be much less than $7 million, as that’s what he’s worth. Yes, players often take less to stay in Boston and I had a feeling McAvoy may follow suit, but the fact that it’s only $4.9 million is incredible to me. That’s at least $2.1 million less than he’s worth. Another great thing about this contract that makes it a steal is the qualifying offer once this is up isn’t bad, as it’s only $7.3 million, which he’s probably worth now, let alone then as he continues to improve and as the cap goes up. The Bruins should also still have enough to resign fellow RFA defenseman Brandon Carlo, with around $3.2 million in cap space left as their roster stands today, and one or more players may not be on the roster to start the season, which would free up more cap space.
My feelings aside, his play fully supports my feelings as to how much of a steal this contract is. He’s a phenomenal puck mover who’s great at rushing the puck and jumping into the offensive rush, and he knows how to pick his moments to do so. He’s more of an offensive defenseman, but he’s also strong in his own end, and he’ll only continue to get better there. McAvoy’s also a great skater with a high hockey IQ and on-ice vision. He’s the Bruins’ number one defenseman of the present and the future, and it’s exciting that the Bruins got as great of a deal as they did with him. Yes, now they’ll have to pay him more at the end of this contract, but they’ll have a lot more cap space then as Backes’ and Miller’s contracts will be up, and Moore’s will be almost up and can likely be shed via a trade. Also, the cap will continue to rise, not to mention the fact that he was willing to take less to stay in Boston now, and it’s likely that he’d be willing to do that again. There’s just no way the Bruins regret this deal, and I’m sure McAvoy won’t either. It’s a certainly great day to be a Bruins fan!
Hockey Addict 