The Bruins announced today that they have signed defenseman Andrew Ference to a 3-year extension, totaling $6.75 million with a $2.25 million annual cap hit.
While $2.25 million doesn't seem like much to pay for a veteran defenseman, I have to question the logic of re-signing an often-injured bottom pair defenseman to this kind of contract. In the 3 full seasons that Ference has played with the Bruins, he has missed at least 30 games every year. It is well-documented that I am not the biggest fan of Andrew Ference's game, but I have to admit the Bruins have looked better in their own end of the rink since he returned from his latest injury. That being said, I think they could have looked elsewhere for more economical options that could give you the same things that Ference does.
Peter Chiarelli sounded more like a guy with buyer's remorse after buying a lemon used car than someone who just locked up a veteran defenseman for the next 3 seasons:
"With a player of his size and the way he plays, there will be injuries, knock on wood. I've been given assurance with respect to his groin and core area that everything is repairable and everything will be fine. We're prepared to take injuries based on the way he plays. I'm not going to lie. He'll say the same thing. He plays hard, and that's what happens when you play hard. We looked at that and we factored that into the equation. But we felt there were a lot of positives."
- Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli via Boston.com
So, there you have it. Three more years of Andrew Ference hobbling around the 9th floor of TD Garden.