Four days into training camp, the Bruins have signed one of their two remaining restricted free agents.
As first reported Sunday morning by Bob McKenzie, the Bruins have signed Charlie McAvoy to a three-year deal with an AAV of $4.9M.
The negations moved into the final stages earlier this week after the Blue Jackets and Zach Werenski came to terms on a three-year, $15 million deal.
With the Bruins issues from a salary cap standpoint, this is a deal that makes sense for both sides, and as general manager Don Sweeney wanted, will keep McAvoy as a RFA when his contract expires. McAvoy has made it known he wants to stay in Boston long-term, but with their current status under the cap, a long-term deal was nearly impossible.
Instead, McAvoy will play out the next two years of this current deal and if things go the way both sides expect it to, it opens the door for the two sides to be able to strike a long term deal before McAvoy plays out his contract season in 2021-22.
The Bruins will be in a much better position in 2021 as both David Krejci and David Backes contracts come off the books, allowing the Bruins more freedom in a long-term deal for McAvoy.
With this deal, the Bruins now have McAvoy in the mix for next three years, allowing them to remain competitive with a core that is expected to make another Stanley Cup run this season. On McAvoy’s side, he now has the opportunity to earn himself more money on what will be a long term deal as his next contract.
With McAvoy signed, the Bruins will now turn their attention to Brandon Carlo. But once again, cap space becomes an issue. The Bruins have approximately $3.2 million in remaining cap space. The Bruins will have the luxury of placing John Moore and/or Kevan Miller on long term injured reserve, moves that would greatly help Sweeney get a new deal done with Carlo.
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