BOSTON -- Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli got a head start on the team's offseason planning Friday by signing forward Reilly Smith and defenseman Torey Krug to contract extensions.
Smith agreed to a two-year deal worth $6.85 million. He will earn $3.35 million in 2015-16 and $3.5 million in 2016-17. Krug signed a one-year extension worth $3.4 million.
"These are players we always liked and have a bright future for us," Chiarelli said during a press conference Friday afternoon at TD Garden.
Unlike some of the other long-term deals Chiarelli and the Bruins have handed out in recent seasons to Patrice Bergeron, Tuukka Rask and David Krejci, these shorter-term contracts for Krug and Smith give the players and the team flexibility. "The one- and two-year terms were important to us," Chiarelli said.
Chiarelli explained that both sides agreed on the ideas and philosophies behind these types of deals. From a team standpoint, it helps with the salary cap moving forward. As a player, it serves as incentive to perform on a short-term platform.
Chiarelli defended the notion that the Bruins overpaid both players by saying these contracts are exactly what Krug and Smith, both of whom would have been restricted free agents again this summer, would have received if they went to arbitration.
Krug said he was comfortable signing a one-year deal.
"I want to prove myself as a top-four guy. My whole career I've been betting on myself, so it's another opportunity to do that," Krug said. "I just want to expand my role, like any player would. They want to play more, be a bigger part of the team and that's the reasoning behind the one-year [deal]. I'm always comfortable betting on myself, so it's another chance to do that."
Krug's offensive skills are evident and his numbers prove that. He has 11 goals and 20 assists for 31 points in 58 games this season. He has a knack for getting the puck to the net and is also a strong contributor on the power play. Krug understands his defensive game needs to improve, and he said he prides himself on his defense.
"You've got to win the coach's trust, and whether it's the last minute of the period or near the end of the game or taking defensive-zone faceoffs, it's all that -- and I'm pretty happy with all the progress that I've made," Krug said. "I feel like I've made big steps, and the coach is showing trust in me a little bit more."
Bruins coach Claude Julien said he's pleased with the improvements both Krug and Smith have made the last two seasons in all aspects of the game.
"Torey continues to get better all the time, and we're gaining more confidence in him playing against certain lines of other teams," Julien said.
As for Smith, the Bruins are searching for a right wing for the team's top line and believe he has that potential (to play with David Krejci and Milan Lucic). Smith has exhibited inconsistencies at times the past two seasons and still needs to develop and learn to control those ebbs and flows throughout the season. When management examines Smith's play this season, Chiarelli understands the entire team has struggled, too.
"He's a 20-goal scorer and he's a very smart player," Chiarelli said. "He manages the power play. He's one of our leading scorers and he's a good young player."
The players now have security and won't spend the summer wondering when their contracts will get done, which is exactly what happened last summer, forcing both players to miss the start of training camp without a deal in hand.
"I'd love to avoid that as much as possible," Krug said. "It's not a good feeling going into the summer when you're unsure of things and what's going to happen, or basically when it's going to happen. Obviously, last year it was just a matter of when things were going to unfold and how that was all going to play out. [Now] you're able to go into the summer not worrying about that, and it's nice to be able to think about hockey right now and not have to worry about anything afterwards."
Smith concurred.
"It's nice to have it behind me, and now I can focus on hockey," he said.
Also on the business side, Chiarelli admitted he has not discussed a contract extension yet with defenseman Dougie Hamilton. The 21-year-old blueliner becomes a restricted free agent this summer and the Bruins will certainly give him a long-term deal.