Boston Bruins: What if Tyler Seguin was never traded?

CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 22: Tyler Seguin #19 of the Boston Bruins plays against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game Five of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final at the United Center on June 22, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 22: Tyler Seguin #19 of the Boston Bruins plays against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game Five of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final at the United Center on June 22, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)
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DALLAS, TX - MARCH 23: Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin (91) skates with the puck behind the net with Boston Bruins center David Krejci (46) chasing him during the game between the Dallas Stars and the Boston Bruins on March 23, 2018 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Boston defeats the Stars 3-2. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX – MARCH 23: Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin (91) skates with the puck behind the net with Boston Bruins center David Krejci (46) chasing him during the game between the Dallas Stars and the Boston Bruins on March 23, 2018 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Boston defeats the Stars 3-2. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Tyler Seguin’s new deal?

At the time of Bergeron’s signing, he took up roughly 10% of the total salary cap, which was $69M at that point. When Seguin signed his extension, the salary cap was $75M, and if he were to sign at the same salary cap percentage as Bergeron in 2014-15, his contract would be an 8-year deal worth $7.5M per season.

With the exact same team roster today with Krejci and Backes (who likely wouldn’t have signed with Seguin on the roster) gone and replaced by Seguin’s new deal, the Bruins go from having just $7,294,167 in space, to $13,044,167.

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That would be enough to re-sign both Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo, comfortably. They also could have added another player in free agency the year prior. But that’s too big of a question to answer.

With Seguin signing that new deal to remain in Boston, how would he fare? Seguin, who played all 82 games last season with Dallas, recorded 80 points. He did this while averaging 20:45 time on ice. Krejci, on the other hand, averaged 17:41 time on ice.

If Seguin averaged Krejci’s 17:41 last season instead, he would face a 14.8% deployment decrease. With that 14.8% decrease in deployment considered, Seguin would have been projected 68 points. That’s 12 points less than what he wound up getting in Dallas and surprisingly less than the 73 points Krejci got last season.

So was trading Seguin actually the right thing to do in the long run?