As the NHL salary cap is projected to increase by a mere $1 million for the 2023-24 season, the Boston Bruins find themselves among a handful of teams grappling with substantial overages, facing a steeper challenge compared to others.
Over the past summer, Bruins' General Manager Don Sweeney successfully negotiated one-year contract extensions with seasoned players Patrice Bergeron (with a $2.5 million cap hit) and David Krejci (with a $1 million cap hit). Nonetheless, Bergeron's salary consists of a $1 million signing bonus and a $1.5 million base salary, while Krejci's contract includes a $2 million performance bonus.
The Bruins, having temporarily surpassed the cap during the regular season by utilizing the Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR), ended up with a final team cap hit exceeding the $82.5 million limit.
Consequently, the performance bonuses must be carried over to the following season, posing a financial challenge for the team.
BOS: $4,500,000
PHI: $1,187,500
MTL: $1,170,000
EDM: $850,000
VAN: $850,000
COL: $637,500
NYR: $610,891
CAR: $450,000
NJD: $422,500
DAL: $372,829
FLA: $212,500
SEA: $129,910
SJS: $25,000
STL: $20,000
WSH: $20,000
Sweeney had to resort to the long-term injured reserve on several occasions this season. However, this strategy enabled him to acquire Tyler Bertuzzi, Dmitry Orlov, and Garnet Hathaway without giving up significant assets from his roster.
