Facing a flat salary cap and 'risky' playoff return, Torey Krug accepts that he’ll ‘have to prepare for free agency’

Torey Krug already has plenty on his plate these days.

Along with the usual duties that come with the territory as father to a one-year-old daughter, the 29-year-old blueliner has been a regular at Warrior Ice Arena far before Monday’s full-squad workout — with the B’s power-play quarterback focused on shaking off the rust ahead of what will be the most frantic and unpredictable end to an NHL campaign since … well, maybe ever. 

Krug, who has been on the ice to witness Lord Stanley’s Cup handed off to an opposing club twice in his nine seasons with Boston, stands as one of the primary cogs driving a motivated Bruins bunch that is relishing the chance to rewrite last spring’s crushing conclusion against the Blues.  And while the focus for Krug at the moment remains on the task at hand with Boston, it remains to be seen just how many games the skilled defensemen has left in a black and gold sweater.

A pending unrestricted free agent once this “Return To Play” plan is concluded, Krug has not left much to the imagination when it comes to expressing his desire to remain in Boston — even taking a hometown discount if necessary. 

He reiterated his stance shortly after the NHL’s pause in March, even if the Michigan native is still in line to receive a nice pay bump from the $5.25 million annual cap hit he commands on his current deal. 

But amid the hope of an amicable agreement between Krug and the only NHL club he’s ever played for, Friday’s news of a CBA extension only served to muddle what is already a murky future for Krug in Boston. 



Even though the new CBA framework sorted out between the NHLPA and the league does guarantee labor peace through 2026, the reworked document doesn't pull any punches when it comes to charting out the financial hardships inflicted by the COVID-19 stoppage. As we've covered throughout the spring and summer, a flat salary cap limit of $81.5 million will be the financial consequence that resonates with most NHL clubs in a post-coronavirus future — with plenty of Cup contenders forced to re-evaluate their fiscal commitments during a year in which the cap was once projected to jump up to $84-$88.2 million.

As such, even with Don Sweeney's efforts of clearing cap by way of dealing a majority of David Backes' contract back in February, Boston will still likely be staring at a cap crunch this offseason, especially when it comes to charting out the appropriate AAV on a Krug extension.

https://twitter.com/bruinscapspace/status/1278414440958963714

As such, even if there's still a viable chance that Krug and the Bruins can come to terms on a new deal, Krug is accepting of the fact that he might have to prepare for life out on the free-agent market.

“I don’t really know what’s going to happen,” Krug said via Zoom on Monday. “I’m just trying to take it day by day and worry about the playoffs right now. I’ll probably have to prepare for free agency and we’ll see what happens there. But in terms of what's going on with the Bruins and everything else, that's probably a question for someone else."

Even without the fiscal limitations hampering clubs (and, by extension, upcoming free agents in line for major paydays), Krug is already entering this revamped postseason format at a disadvantage when it comes to earning full value on his new deal. Given the rapid ramp-up expected on a schedule that goes from training camp to full playoff hockey in less than three weeks, the risk of injuries (not even counting COVID complications) will likely be at an all-time high once the calendar flips to August.

"Being a free agent that goes into this situation, it's definitely risky," Krug said. "I'd be lying to you if I said it's not. Having three, four months off, and then going right into the most intense hockey you could possibly play at any level. There's always risk for injury no matter when you play. But certainly in this moment, you don't have the normal training that you do, the preparation, all the work to make sure your body feels good and you can go in there without any worries." 

For now, though, Krug isn't looking too far ahead — especially given the hard choices that might have to made shortly after this playoff passes. Even though Krug and his agents are willing to entertain in any contract negotiations presented by Sweeney and the Bruins' camp over the next few weeks, such discussions will likely be tabled as soon as the Bruins head up to Toronto on July 26.

“I don’t treat negotiations a lot like other guys do and I don’t really believe in playing the games and this or that or waiting things out,” Krug said. “Once the puck drops and we start playing hockey games, I’m just going to focus on that. Anything leading up to that point, we’ll see if anything can work out but once we drop the puck, I’m going to focus on that and we’ll have to reevaluate things afterwards. But I’ve always been comfortable with it. Nothing changes the way I approach each individual game and each individual shift, so I’ve never done anything out of the ordinary to worry about that. I just let my play do the talking."

These days, Krug's priorities are a far cry from what a younger version of himself would have coveted. Whereas some younger NHLers take into account factors such as weather, location and, of course, the top pay stub available, Krug has much more to weigh these days. Such pondering may not be subside until October, when free agency is slated to begin. And the final result may not entirely satisfy all parties involved.

“Any time you're winning and you're doing your job well, that makes everything else kind of line up in your life," Krug said. "Right now, family is the number one thing and my priorities have changed quite a bit. Having to be a husband and be a father, it’s quite a different change in where your priorities lie,” Krug said. “You have to think about schools, you have to think about quality of life, living in certain climates — these are all some things that you take into consideration and we’ll see but I think at the end of the day, competing and being part of a core leadership group has all been important to me and try to build something and be apart of something special, you always want to do that.

“There’s a lot of things that go into it. But right now, I’m just focused on this group right here and now and hopefully helping us win a championship and I’ll have to prepare for whatever’s to come after that.”