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Breaking Down Patrice Bergeron’s Next Contract Extension

Though they still have plenty of time, the Bruins will have to make a decision on what type of contract to give to Patrice Bergeron.

Though he still has one season remaining on his deal, the Boston Bruins will at some point need to figure out a contract extension with team captain Patrice Bergeron. The 36-year-old, who has spent his entire 17 season career with the Bruins, is set to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason as his eight-year, $55 million deal will come to an end. With a cap hit of $6.875 million, he has been one of the league’s most underpaid players considering what he provides at both ends of the ice.

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Despite the fact he is getting up there in age, he is still performing at an extremely high level, proven by his 23 goals and 48 points in just 53 games this past season. If he can perform like that in 2021-22, there is no doubt he would be deserving of a raise. However, that may not happen.

Bruins players have earned a reputation throughout the hockey community for taking discounts to help benefit the team for playoff success. There are very few if any players on their roster that are overpaid, but a ton that could be making more money had they wanted to. The Bruins are also open to letting people who want to make the most they can in the open market leave; case in point, Torey Krug. For that reason — although, admittedly, Bergeron is not Krug — a raise for Bergeron is no sure thing.

In an article featured on Bleacher Report, author Lyle Richardson believes the four-time Selke Trophy winner will sign a two-year deal that would carry a cap hit of $6 million. His reasoning for this is that a decline is inevitable for the aging Bergeron, and that the Bruins would not be willing to give him a long-term deal at this point in his career.

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It’s hard to argue Richardson’s points here, as most players tend to decline in their early to mid-thirties. The fact that Bergeron has been able to stay this good for so long is truly remarkable, but the truth is this level of play from him probably won’t last much longer. Regardless, the two sides will certainly get a deal worked out, as there is zero chance one of the franchises most iconic players leaves via free agency. What that contract looks like however will be very dependent on how he performs in 2021-22.

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