Until there are comparables, it's tough to peg what star players are going to get in their next contract.
We now have a few comparables for Charlie McAvoy.
The Boston Bruins defenseman, a budding star who will soon be firmly in the Norris Trophy conversation on a yearly basis, is about to enter the final season of his three-year deal, which carries a $4.9 million cap hit. He undoubtedly will get a pay raise, and a significant one at that.
And that's exactly why Bruins fans should be monitoring what's happened with the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars over the last week.
The Stars last Saturday signed their young star blueliner Miro Heiskanen to an eight-year deal, which will carry an $8.45 million annual cap hit. This Saturday, it was Cale Makar getting a six-year deal that has a $9 million AAV.
There are perhaps no better comparables for McAvoy in terms of age and ability than Heiskanen and Makar. All three are among the game's premier defensemen, and arguably the best rearguards under the age of 24.
The good news for the Bruins is that McAvoy's current contract is a bridge deal, so he will be a restricted free agent next offseason. That means the Bruins won't be getting into a bid war for his services.
McAvoy figures to be a fixture on the Bruins blue line for many, many years. Now, it's increasingly coming into focus what it will take to make sure that happens.
