Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. He is nearing the conclusion of the four-year, $21 million deal that he signed back in 2016.
When asked how he is approaching his forthcoming contract negotiations, Krug says he has not made many changes.
“I’m in a unique situation being such a dynamic player that I’m not too much concerned about what’s going to change,” said Krug. “I haven’t thought too much differently about it. I am kind of just taking this the same approach, but as thing moves on I just focus on what we can do here and now, and we’ll move on from there. My situation remains the same, and what I am looking for, that remains the same as well.”
The main difference in the factors that contribute to the blue-liner have changed, however, as Krug is a relatively new husband and father. On where his priorities are, there are a lot of conditions that go into it.
“For me, right now family is the number one thing, and my priorities have changed quite a bit having to be a husband and a father,” said Krug. “It’s quite a different change in where your priorities land. You have to think about schools, you have to think about quality of life, being in a certain climate. These are all something that you take into consideration, and we’ll see. I think at the end of the day, competing, being part of a core and leadership group has all been important to me. I try to build something, and be a part of something special. There’s a lot of things that go into it, and we’ll see. But, right now [I’m] focused on this group right here and now, and hopefully help us win the Championship. I’ll have to prepare for what else is coming right after that.”
The 2020 postseason is set to begin on August 1st, and with the pandemic, the NHL has given the players to opt-out of playing.
The new collective bargaining agreement was approved by the NHL on July 10th, and will last through 2026. The deal addresses safety measures with the coronavirus, and allows for the return to participate in the next two Winter Olympics. It also discusses how the economic effects of the pandemic will be distributed between players and owners, according to the NHL.
“I was on every single one of those phone calls, going through the different scenarios,” Krug said. “It was a good deal for us to miss something to protect ourselves in the short-term in order to have long-term success in the league. I thought it was a good deal. I am happy that both sides ratified it so that we can move on here. As far as myself, I don’t really know what is going to happen. I’m just trying to take it day-by-day and worry about the playoffs right now. I’ll have to probably prepare for free agency, and we’ll see what happens there.”
On being a free agent in this situation, Krug addressed the uncertainties that come with resuming play.
“Being a free agent in this situation, it’s definitely risky,” said Krug. “I’d be lying to you if I said it’s not. Having three, four months off and then going into the most intense hockey you can possibly play at any level, there’s always risk for injury no matter when you play. But certainly in this moment, you don’t have the normal training that you do, the preparation, all the work to make sure your body feels good and you can in there without any worries. But, we’ll have a bit of a ramp-up here, and any chance you get to compete for the Stanley Cup, you take it every time you get it.”
Other free agents for the Bruins include forwards Joakim Nordstrom, Anders Bjork, and Jake DeBrusk; and defensemen Zdeno Chara and Matt Grzelcyk. The clubs current Cap Space is $669,543.
In terms of landing a new contract, the spotlight is on the playoffs for the 29-year-old, but once the postseason is over, then will the talks begin.
“Once we drop the puck, I am going to focus on that and then reevaluate things afterwards,” Krug said.
