Friday’s official announcement of Cale Makar’s record-setting extension left more than a few fans and NHL execs breathless. But for the Boston Bruins, Don Sweeney exhaled in relief.
Makar’s $20 million AAV makes Charlie McAvoy’s $9.5 million salary look like a drop in the bucket.
And there’s good reason for that. When the Bruins signed McAvoy to his current deal in 2021, the NHL was in the grips of the COVID flat-cap era. Stars and high-end prospects coming out of entry-level deals had no choice but to take as much as they could get, given the market’s current dynamics.
The Bruins gave McAvoy the best deal they could. McAvoy took it, and so, end of story.
The rising cap has now led to considerable salary inflation across the NHL. That situation was partly due to the Leo Carlsson offer sheet. The situation then worsened with Macklin Celebrini’s short-lived record deal.
Everyone knew that Makar would blow everyone else out of the water. And Quinn Hughes will likely be next.
That’s why the Bruins were lucky to sign Charlie McAvoy when they did. The now team-friendly contract should give Boston plenty of flexibility as the cap continues to rise.
Could McAvoy reach the $20 million mark on his next deal?
McAvoy is still under contract for four more seasons. The Bruins' number-one defenseman will be 32 when his deal expires in 2030.
As such, could McAvoy reach the $20 million plateau on his next deal?
The short answer is no. McAvoy might be too old to command such a salary, even if his play remains elite. Perhaps $20 million on a short-term, three-year deal could deliver McAvoy one final massive payday towards the end of his career.
The long answer, however, would be yes. In three seasons, when the salary cap rises to $123 million, the going rate for a number-one defenseman might be $18 million and upwards.
That’s where McAvoy could land one more big payday.
McAvoy will be eligible to sign an extension in the summer of 2029. By then, the NHL could have the massive new TV deal it’s currently pushing for. If the league gets it, the cap should continue rising. If the ceiling reaches $150 million or even more, paying $20 million for the final six or seven years of Charlie McAvoy might be a no-brainer.
We shall see. There are so many variables in play here that it would be tough to predict McAvoy’s next contract until those variables sort themselves out.
Add us as a preferred source on Google