For the first time, St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug discussed his injury status with reporters and said that his ankle problem might ruin his career, according to Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic. When Krug was a member of the Boston Bruins in 2018, he initially sustained the injury, he disclosed to reporters. In the second round of the playoffs, Krug suffered a broken left ankle after he stumbled and crashed into the boards, ending his playoff career.

Despite starting the 2018–19 season late and missing 11 games, Krug was still able to play in 64 games for the Bruins before calling it a day in 2019–20. After the initial injury, he signed a seven-year contract with St. Louis and continued to play for several seasons before developing arthritis as a result of the ankle surgery. He persevered through the discomfort, getting help from doctors, physical therapy, and injections.

Everyone who has arthritis is aware that there are good days and bad days, according to Krug. We took a lot of steps to help, which is why I was able to put up with it for so long. To be honest, I was in a boot and playing hockey offered a lot of support, so for a long time, that was one of the things that helped.

Krug didn’t begin to experience significant problems during his offseason training until this past offseason.

However, Krug added, “there were some red flags [this offseason].” “I made an effort to overcome it and figure out how to train. Really, I was unable to do any of the tasks required of me in order to get ready for the NHL season.

He gave Blues general manager Doug Armstrong a call to disclose the problem and arrange for medical staff to create a plan. His ankle was supposed to be rehabbed for six to eight weeks before being reassessed. After his rehabilitation is complete, Krug will have a subtalar fusion, a technique that could endanger his career because it “restricts lateral movement within the foot and ankle,” which is necessary for an NHL defenseman to move about the ice with ease. Krug is 33 years old.

Krug’s chances of playing in the NHL again are estimated to be around 30% by Dr. Rick Lehman, the medical director of the U.S. Center of Sports Medicine, who referred to the surgery as a “hail Mary.” He also mentioned that although going back on the ice is a possibility, recovering from surgery is rather tough, and it takes a while.

Two Contract Comparisons for the Jeremy Swayman Trade with the Bruins.

Jeremy Swayman is still a restricted free agent, and the Boston Bruins play the New York Rangers in their first preseason game at TD Garden in three weeks. Both parties have stated their optimism that a deal would be completed in time for the season, and he took part in this week’s Bruins captain’s practice. Nevertheless, there is a lot to be concerned about. The Bruins would start the season without both of their Vezina Trophy-caliber goalies from the previous year if Swayman were to hold out. Let’s look at a few contracts that might be similar to what Swayman gets when he finally signs on the dotted line.

2017: Carey Price

In 2017, Carey Price inked a massive contract worth $84 million spread over eight years to remain with the Montreal Canadiens. For the team, the agreement has held up like milk. After signing, Price gave them three good seasons of play, but since then, injuries have kept him from playing as much. He hasn’t participated in a team game since April 2022, and there’s no indication when he’ll be back.

This contract is probably roughly what Swayman will get in terms of pay, but if the Bruins give him a contract as long as Price’s, they should be more comfortable with the likely result. When Price signed his contract, he was thirty years old and had started more over five hundred NHL games. Swayman is only 25 years old and has made just 132 NHL starts. His longevity should be welcomed by the Bruins, as he probably has a lot more left in him than Price did in 2018. Furthermore, it is improbable that he will sign a contract with an average annual value (AAV) greater than $10 million, as Price’s Canadiens did.

Andrei Vasilevskiy in 2019

The closest parallel we can probably find to the current circumstances facing Swayman and the Bruins is Andrei Vasilevskiy’s 2019 contract. Vasilevskiy, who like Swayman started negotiations at age 25, was coming off a fantastic 2018–19 season in which he won the Vezina Trophy. A $9.5 million annual average value (AAV) eight-year contract worth $76 million was agreed upon by the parties.

For the Lightning, this contract has held up perfectly over time. Following the signing of his contract, Vasilevskiy guided the Bolts to the Stanley Cup in each of the three years, winning it in 2020 and 2021. At the end of the 2021 playoffs, he was given the Conn Smythe Trophy for the league’s most valuable player. He was the first goalkeeper to receive this honor since Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2012.

Rich Keefe of WEEI said that Swayman sought an AAV of $10 million, exceeding Vasilevskiy’s 2019 payment. However, during a recent interview on Sportsnet’s The Big Show with Rusic and Rose, NHL insider Frank Seravalli revealed that Swayman was seeking over $8 million, while the Bruins were only looking for a little over $6 million. When he started talks in 2019, Vasilevskiy has more honors than Swayman had. He also hasn’t won a Vezina.

But it appears likely that an NHL team would be happy to offer him a deal that would pay him about $8 million a year. In light of this, the Bruins should expect to meet him at or around that amount if they want to finalize a long-term agreement before the start of the season.

Comparisons of Contracts

It appears that Swayman and the Bruins are certain that an agreement will be reached in time for the start of the season. It remains to be seen what the terms of that accord will be. Even if Swayman’s side is requesting a lesser AAV, they are probably referencing Vasilevskiy’s contract as a model to work from. Swayman is entering his prime and is expected to rank among the NHL’s top goalies in the upcoming years, so the Bruins should be happy that they signed him to a long-term contract.