Torey Krug is well aware of the nature of the business, and knows that the Bruins had more pressing matters to attend to this offseason in terms of re-upping RFAs in Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo to new deals.
While both McAvoy and Carlo have yet to sign the dotted lines on new contracts with Boston, one has to think that a deal will be struck sooner rather than later, given the fact that other RFA blueliners like Zach Werenski and Ivan Provorov have either agreed to new terms or are reaching the final stages of negotiations with their respective clubs.
And when the day comes in which McAvoy and Carlo are back taking reps over at Warrior Ice Arena, Krug is looking for the only NHL franchise he’s ever played for to turn its focus to his impending free agency in the summer of 2020.
Even if the 28-year-old defenseman is in line for a massive pay raise next summer from the $5.25 million he's set to earn this season, Krug maintained during Boston's breakup day back in June that Boston is indeed where he wants to be long term. But since announcing publicly his desire to work out an extension with the Bruins, Krug noted on Thursday that Boston has not engaged any discussions when it comes to a new contract.
“No, nothing," Krug said of word from Bruins management. "I think their hands are a little tied with something else going on. Like I’ve said before, I’ve understood how the business works and hopefully once something gets clarified for someone else, then the rest of the attention will be directed (here).”
Don Sweeney and Co. are already trudging through the drawn-out negotiations that have persisted all summer long when it comes to McAvoy and Carlo. But Krug's situation proves to be much more daunting, given what he could earn on the open market if he makes it to unrestricted free agency.
Given the fact that Krug has expressed a willingness to leave money on the table and accept a hometown discount if it means staying in Boston on a long-term basis, one has to think that the Bruins needs to strike before the calendar stretches further and further into the 2019-20 season. Considering that some have predicted that Krug might land a deal with an average annual value of $8 million or more next summer, the clock is ticking for Boston to make a move.
Krug seems to have plenty of leverage when it comes to negotiations, given that his value is arguably at an all-time high given his play during Boston's run to the Stanley Cup Final. Krug's bread-and-butter is well documented at this point, with the playmaking defenseman averaging 47.6 points per season over his six full years in the NHL. During the 2019 postseason, Krug tied for the league lead with 16 assists over 24 games – quarterbacking a B's power play that cashed in on 32.4% of its opportunities in the playoffs.
His play on the other side of the ice has drawn criticism during his tenure in Boston, but Krug and his latest D partner in Brandon Carlo were arguably Boston's most effective duo on the blue line last postseason when it came to limiting scoring chances — with Boston holding a 12-9 edge in 5v5 goals during the 303:45 of TOI in which both skaters were deployed during the postseason.
"Look, my resume speaks for itself," Krug said. "I’ve had a lot of success from the back end, providing offense. I’ve been really solid defensively. Last year, I really worked on my game to become an important player for this team. I feel like I know my worth and I’m sure the team knows as well. We’ll see how it goes.”
For now, Krug is willing to enter the 2019-20 season without much in terms of security going forward. It's not out of the norm for Krug, who played two seasons with back-to-back, one-year contracts after his entry-level deal in Boston expired in 2014.
Krug's future in Boston could also very well be dictated by just how much capital Sweeney is willing to commit to McAvoy and Carlo this year. As @BruinsCapSpace was quick to note, if McAvoy signs a similar bridge deal as Werenski's (with just a $4 million cap hit in 2019-20), then Boston could have around $24-25 million available next season to deal with the next wave of free agents — headlined by Krug, Charlie Coyle, Matt Grzelcyk, Jake DeBrusk and more.
If #NHLBruins signed McAvoy to the same deal as Werenski, they would have around $29M next summer to spend on DeBrusk, Gryz, Carlo (tbd) and any UFA- Krug, Coyle. pic.twitter.com/gZC2URIjpV
— $8.1M=BruinsCapspace (@bruinscapspace) September 9, 2019