While the report from RDS that the NHL rejected Chris Kellys four-year, 12 million contract extension may be true, its also something that Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli addressed in a Wednesday afternoon conference call with reporters.
The Bruins announced Kellys contract as agreed in principle on Wednesday while Gregory Campbells three-year contract was officially announced as a done deal. Chiarelli further said that the Bruins couldnt make the four-year contract with Kelly official until July 1 due to a payroll tagging issue, but nothing would deter the two sides from getting the deal done then.
The Bs general manager never openly admitted that the NHL had rejected Kellys extension, but anyone reading between the lines should have come up with assertion all the same.
Weve got a commitment from Kelly for four years, but were not able the register that contract yet. We have to wait because of payroll tagging issues, admitted Chiarelli during a conference call with reporters on Wednesday afternoon. That will be something we do on July 1. He has my commitment, hes given me his commitment, and were ecstatic to have him for four years.
Chiarelli later elaborated on what payroll tagging consists of, and its a formula created by the NHL to regulate the combination of expiring contracts and new deals that only pop up in June on the cusp of free agency.
Its a salary cap thing. Its called tagging room about future commitments. Because of that we wont be able to register until July 1, said Chiarelli. Basically its a formula based on the salary cap, expiring contracts and future commitments.
Conspiracy theorists might want to turn the RDS news nugget into Kellys extension falling apart with the Bruins, and perhaps some cap-obsessed fans might actually hope that goes down with the four-year commitment between Boston and the third line pivot.
But any tagging room issues between Kelly and the Bruins will disappear when the two-way pivot signs his four-year contract on July 1.