Creative contracts.

Here is an interesting take on way of working players salaries in under the cap. The Bruins might have to do this to keep two of their young guns David Krejci and Phil Kessel. Both players are going to get fat contracts after having great seasons.

The Boston Bruins meanwhile are a team which has over $47 million committed to next season’s payroll but have two quality forwards in Phil Kessel and David Krejci set to become restricted free agents.

If both seek raises over $4 million per season – and given their performances this season it would be reasonable to expect they will– retaining Kessel and Krejci could put a serious squeeze on the Bruins remaining cap space next season.

The front-loaded contract would address that problem. The Bruins could re-sign these two to affordable salaries, lock up both well beyond their eligibility age for unrestricted free agency and provide the Bruins with a more affordable cap hit next season.

Of course lengthy deals do come with risk. The player might no longer be an effective performer by the tail end of the deal, or certainly not one worth the cap space he’ll be eating up by that time.
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