Sick of hearing fans call into talk radio shows and complain about the Bruins not spending? Concerned about what the Bruins are going to do with Chara on the shelf for 2 months? Here's what you need to know about their current financial situation.
First off, unlike MLB the NHL has a salary cap that you really need to stay under. Second of all the Bruins are currently 5th closest to the cap with 2.27 million left to go. So, who is closer? Tampa Bay, Toronto, Washington and Philadelphia. Montreal is down in the middle of the pack with 5 million to go.
A big part of the reason the Bruins are so poor this season is because of the carryover of Iginla's bonus money from last season (4.2 million). To put that into perspective, Loui Erikson is making 4.25 million this season. Moreover, all put together Hamilton, Krug and Smith make 4.29 million combined.
So what does any of this have to do with Zdeno Chara? Chara is the second highest paid Bruin. Of the $69 million available this season $6.9 million is going to Chara. Combine that with the carryover from Iginla and we are talking 16% of the budget isn't making the team any better for the next two months. At least the Iginla carryover is just for this year. We are stuck with Chara's pricey contract for a few more years.
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