Bruins sign Danton Heinen to 2-year contract extension: What does Boston’s cap situation look like now?

The Bruins have officially reeled in one of their top three restricted free agents this summer. 

The club announced Tuesday night that it has signed forward Danton Heinen to a two-year contract extension through the 2020-21 season, with an annual cap hit of $2.8 million. 

Tuesday’s news avoided a potentially messy situation for both player and team next month, as the NHLPA announced on Friday that Heinen elected for salary arbitration — with a hearing set for Aug. 3. While Heinen opted for the move, both parties could still continue negotiations ahead of any arbitration hearing, leading to Tuesday’s eventual announcement. 

Heinen, who made $995,833 in the final year of his entry-level contract in 2018-19, set himself up for a solid pay raise after capping off his second full season up in the NHL. While his production dropped from a 2017-18 campaign in which he ranked ninth amongst all NHL rookies with 47 points, the winger was still a regular contributor all across the lineup this past year, ranking seventh on the team with 34 points over 77 games. 

While he struggled to gain traction on what was largely a black hole of a third line for most of the year, Heinen did impress when slotted up on a top line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, with Boston outscoring the competition, 11-4, and posting a plus-20 shot differential during the 197:31 of 5v5 TOI in which that trio was out skating. 

On a forward grouping that hit its stride in the postseason with Charlie Coyle and Marcus Johansson, Heinen and his linemates outscored the competition, 7-4, in 134:01 of ice time together during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

BSJ Analysis

While Heinen is a bit of a polarizing figure for some due to his lack of flash and so-so offensive ceiling, the Bruins will likely take a 35- to 50-point scoring, versatile winger like Heinen for under $3 million a year. 

Considering that the Maple Leafs are paying players like Alexander Kerfoot, Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Kapanenen $3.5 million, $3.4 million and $3.2 million, respectively, then Boston will take Heinen’s $2.8 million cap hit. Methinks with another year with some reps up on the top line / with a stable NHLer on the third line in Coyle, Heinen should make the deal look better and better for Boston over the next two seasons. 

While Boston didn’t have to break the bank for Heinen, the club’s cap situation does get much direr following the B’s latest move. 

Based on CapFriendly’s latest projections, the Bruins now have $7,353,334 in available cap space to sign their two remaining RFAs in Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo.

If we want to follow @EvolvingWild’s projected contracts for next season, then Carlo (six years, $4.3 million annually) and McAvoy’s new deals (six years, $7.25 million annual) would put Boston a little over $4 million above the cap limit, with Don Sweeney and Co. needing to clear quite a bit of money before the 2019-20 season gets underway.

Even if McAvoy settles on a bridge deal for less AAV (let’s just say $6 million), the result remains the same — Boston needs to get some money off the books. 

It’s been a recurring theme all summer long, but the best bet that the Bruins have when it comes to cap relief lies in finding a suitor for David Backes and the $6 million cap hit that his contract carries over the next two years, as hard as finding a deal may seem. Other trade options like Kevan Miller (2.5 million) and John Moore ($2.75 million) would also likely be on the table, although their value might be limited out of the gate due to injuries. 

Regardless of who is eventually shipped out, the bottom line remains — Boston needs some breathing room as far as the cap is concerned if it wants to bring back both McAvoy and Carlo. Someone’s gotta go.