from Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe,

This is how the Bruins locked up Iginla to a one-year contract with a $1.8 million cap hit. They promised Iginla $4.2 million in bonuses for a possible payday of $6 million. So far, Iginla has been well worth the investment. The drawback, as the Bruins always knew, is how it will affect next year’s books.

The Bruins are projected to carry an approximate $4.5 million penalty in 2014-15 for exceeding this season’s $64.3 million cap via bonuses due to Iginla, Dougie Hamilton, and Torey Krug. Teams estimate the cap will be around $70 million next season. The Bruins have about $62 million committed to next season’s payroll. They can exceed the cap by $4 million by exercising the long-term injury exception on Marc Savard as they did this season. But Krug, Matt Bartkowski, Reilly Smith, and Jordan Caron are scheduled to become restricted free agents. So is Niklas Svedberg, projected to be Tuukka Rask’s backup.

Krug, Smith, and Bartkowski could double their current salaries. If so, the Bruins would have trouble re-signing Iginla to a multiyear extension, which he probably deserves. Iginla would have to be willing to accept a similar deal: a one-year contract heavily stacked with bonuses. Teams are not allowed to include bonuses on a multiyear contract to a player 35 or older.

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