The Bruins are planning to reward head coach Bruce Cassidy with a new contract after a successful season that lead to a Stanley Cup Finals berth.
The discussion started in June after the Final. As per The Athletic, the Bruins have their mindset on extending Cassidy and are currently working on it.
As the former Providence Bruins coach, and an NHL assistant to the former Bruins Head Coach Claude Julien, Cassidy got a chance to be an interim coach late in the 2016-17 season.
In a challenging season with the threat of missing the playoffs for the third consecutive year, Cassidy drove the Bruins back into the mix.
In his first full season, Cassidy helped the Bruins to record 112 points. However, the Bruins crashed against their second round opponent the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Last year, the Bruins wound up as the second-best team in the Eastern Conference, again, with 107 points. We all know the story of the past spring of the Bruins narrowly not hoisting the Stanley Cup.
It was also Cassidy who helped the Bruins to bring players like Matt Grzelcyk, Connor Clifton, Danton Heinen or Karson Kuhlman to the table. It is easy to give a chance to highly skilled skaters Charlie McAvoy or David Pastrnak, but to make sure they remain focused is also a big task.
Cassidy was never shy of being the honest guy, criticizing where it was due. Or simply making smart hockey decisions without making much noise around it, just like preferring playing the hotter goaltender even if it brought heated discussion among Bruins fans.
Cassidy’s three-year deal expires next summer. The Bruins certainly do not want to risk a tricky situation like the Washington Capitals with Barry Trotz.
As per the financial part, it is speculated Cassidy’s extension would carry a $3 million per-season salary.
Cassidy has become the second-fastest Bruins coach to reach 100 victories during his tenure. Undoubtedly, it seems the Bruins would be happy to keep Cassidy as their Head Coach for many years to come.
