The Florida Panthers today re-signed left-winger David Booth to a six-year deal worth a reported total of $25.5 million. Booth, 25, has three seasons of NHL experience and last season posted career-high totals in goals (31), assists (29) and points (60).
To me, Booth is a solid comparable for Boston Bruins RFA winger Phil Kessel, who reportedly is looking for $5 million per season. Booth has been a little less productive and is four years older than Kessel. So you have to figure the Bruins would have to match the term of the Booth deal or greatly surpass his compensation total in order to retain Kessel. The shorter the deal, the more money per season it should be worth. The Bruins seem less apt to hand out deals that long, so the $5 million rumor doesn’t seem so out of whack after all.
4.25 for six years is way too long and way too high for a guy like Booth.
I agree with Paul. The Bruins should do five or six years at around 4 million per year with Phil Kessel.
4.25 for booth, that would defintiely be fair compensation for kessel, but i dont like how you think he will try to demand more. maybe chia will be more willing to lock him up for a longer term if they lower the cap hit? a lower cap hit might help his trade-ability if chia decides at some point over the term that he wants to drop kessel. plus buying a few years of UFA from Kessel by giving him a longer deal would be nice for the bruins, or any team that might look to trade for him