Report: Bruins Begin Extension Negotiations With Cassidy

The Bruins and head coach Bruce Cassidy are in discussions focused on a new contract. The Athletic’s Joe McDonald reported on Tuesday afternoon that the sides have begun the process of negotiating a new deal for Cassidy. Cassidy took over for Claude Julien in Feb. 2017 and has led the Bruins to the playoffs in each of the last three seasons.

Cassidy has only one season remaining on his current deal, which expires at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season.

The Bruins don’t disclose the salary of the head coach, expectations are that the Eastern Conference winning coach will earn a raise. He’s certainly earned any potential pay increase in the eyes of his bosses. “Coming in when he did and getting us to the playoffs and then almost having two, back-to-back 50-win seasons, pretty impressive,” proclaimed Neely to the Athletic.

In both of his full seasons at the helm, Cassidy has led Boston to 100-point regular season performances and second-place finishes in the Atlantic Division. The club has won at least one playoff series in each of those two seasons, including winning the Eastern Conference and making Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final this past June.

Overall, since taking over, Cassidy has a 117-52-22 record. As mentioned, he has yet to miss the playoffs. That’s an extremely rare feat in a league filled with parity. Earlier this off-season, Bruins President Cam Neely told reporters that the club hoped to get something done with Cassidy. Neely did not expect any issues getting a deal done with his coach, and early reports have a financial value already surrounded.

McDonald reports that Cassidy is expected to fall somewhere in the $3 million per season range.