When the clock struck noon on Monday, July 1st, the Boston Bruins made a grand proclamation: the future is of no concern. This is evidenced by Elias Lindholm’s seven-year $7.75 million dollar contract coupled with Nikita Zadorov at six years and $5 million per. Both players are 29 years old.
On paper this addresses two glaring issues for Boston last season, particularly in the playoffs. Depth at center and lacking a full time partner for Brandon Carlo hurt them against the Toronto Maple Leafs and among other things ended up being their demise against the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
Fortunately that is yesterday’s concern. Today these signings help stabilize their top-6 forward group and complement an already stout defensive rotation.
To the purple elephant. In one year’s time, both players will be 30 years old, with six and five years, respectively, remaining against the cap. Revisionist history features plenty of tales cautioning against offering extended term to players at or around this age. But as this writer can personally attest, you don’t drop off a cliff once you cross 30 years of age. Which, if you’re Don Sweeney, has to be the hope.
Understandably most will seek additional assurances. So consider the salary cap increased $4.5 million for 2024-25 compared to 2023-24. A 5% bump is expected to kick-in for 2025-26, followed by a “significant” increase the following year. Exhale, as these contracts age the cap will elevate, further softening any long-term concerns.
While on the topic, as of 7/2, Boston holds $8.6 million, according to CapFriendly, to re-sign Jeremy Swayman. “The timing is what it is,” Sweeney said regarding the ongoing contract negotiation with Swayman. “it’s not impacted by what we did today (day one of free agency).”
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