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Report: NHL Investigating Marc Savard’s Contract for Violating ‘Spirit’ of CBA

Marc Savard's new contract with the Bruins was seen as a win-win for both player and management, but it's drawing the attention of the league.

According to the Boston Herald, the NHL is investigating whether Savard's seven-year, $28 million deal violates the spirit of the collective bargaining agreement. The league is concerned that such a deal pays the player a much higher salary in the early years of the contract while giving the team a manageable salary cap hit.

General manager Peter Chiarelli did not seemed overly concerned.

"They're looking at a number of contracts," Chiarelli told the Herald. "It’s a matter of course. I’m confident we did everything by the CBA."

The other contracts to which Chiarelli refers are those of Marian Hossa (12 years, $68.3 million with the Blackhawks), Roberto Luongo (12 years, $64 million with the Canucks) and Chris Pronger (seven years, $34.45 million with the Flyers).

"We did everything by the book, but I respect the league's right to investigate, and we'll accommodate them with it to the extent that we can," Chiarelli told the newspaper. "This is [how Savard] wanted it structured, and that’s the way we wanted it structured."