The Boston Bruins have signed goalie Tuukka Rask to an eight-year, $56 million contract, the club announced today.
The contract -- which should come as no shock, given it was reportedly in the works last week -- features a cap hit of $7 million. Only one other goalie in the NHL has a cap hit that high: Nashville’s Pekka Rinne (also $7 million).
In 2013, Rask went 19-10-5 with a .929 save percentage during the regular season. Then, in the playoffs, his .940 save percentage in 22 games was tops among all starters as the B’s made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.
Rask, 26, is coming off a one-year, $3.5 million deal that he signed last summer. The Bruins had wanted to lock up their young netminder for longer, but ultimately both sides kicked the can down the road a season.
For Rask, it turned out to be a good gamble to take the “prove it” contract.