Brandon Carlo learned this summer how hard waiting can be, but doing so almost became unbearable.
The Boston Bruins defenseman told Sirius XM radio on Wednesday the hardest part of his bout with restricted free agency were the two days between which Charlie McAvoy and he signed their new contracts. The duo shared similar offseason uncertainty as RFA’s until Sunday when McAvoy signed a three-year contract worth $4.89 million annually. The Bruins on Tuesday inked Carlo to a two-year deal worth $2.85 million annually, wrapping up two of their biggest offseason roster priorities just days after training camp started.
“It was tough,” Carlo said. “A lot of anticipation involved, obviously trying to be patient is the hardest part, especially when camp comes around the corner.
“But it wasn’t as bad until Charlie signed, you know having somebody else along with you to go through that process, kind of bounce questions off each other, that was great. But after Charlie signed, I got pretty antsy there. I was sitting around the house a little too much and just wanted to get back on the grind with the guys.”
Carlo, 22, and McAvoy, 21, were free agents for the first time in their careers, and this summer’s experience should inform them with plenty of useful information … such as knowing exactly when the pain the process can inflict might spike.
