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Reilly Smith signed a two-year contract extension. Maybe it's just me but when looking at Krug's extension and Smith's, it makes me wonder if they didn't get these two deals backwards. It would appear that Smith has almost taken a small step backwards this year, yet is rewarded with the longer extension. 

From Frozen Pool, here are Smith's numbers this year, and last year's numbers.

What makes his minor decline this year even more curious is the fact he's seeing more ice time per game and more time with the man advantage this year compard to last. He's pretty much been a mainstay on Patrice Bergeron's wing all season long so it's not like he isn't seeing his fair share of quality ice time. Don't get me wrong, the Bruins are hurting on the wings and Smith is a key part of their future plans so I guess the two-year deal makes sense for both sides.

Unlike Krug, Smith has some pretty tough competition in that price point to match up with. For the most part, he's actually holding his own pretty well when the numbers are all considered. He's definitely young enough where a bounce back could happen next year.

Again, for fantasy purposes, using Fantasy Hockey Geek, let's take a look at how these same players shake out for rankings in my fantasy league, the UHL.

All of a sudden, that new contract doesn't look quite as nice for the Smith owner in the UHL. He's going to need to show some dramatic improvement before his contract actually becomes worth rostering. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect the Smith owner to drop him after he signs this contract, but his value in our league certainly takes a hit until he turns it around.

So what does this contract mean for the Bruins?

Well the big thing it does is lock up one of their younger assets up front. The Bruins top six is now signed for a couple years, with only Milan Lucic needing a new contract by the end of next year. The bottom six still has a few question marks but there are few good assets down in Providence who have been knocking on the door for some time now. 

The Final Word 

After giving the Bruins a hometown discount last year, it's good to see the Bruins settle these young players before heading into the summer. I think the Bruins got a bargain as far as Krug goes but I wish they had got more term. They are putting themselves up for another battle after next year, assuming they plan on keeping him past that time. Who knows, maybe he doesn't last with the Bruins past next year. As far as Smith goes, I think they paid close to fair market value for him (in the actual NHL). His upside should allow him to grow and make this contract a good deal for both. 

As it stands right now, after these two deals, the Bruins have about $61.6M committed towards the cap next year and still have some big decisions to make. Their bottom six has a couple question marks; their defence is only halfway built; and they still don't have a backup goalie signed past this season.  Once again, it looks like it's going to be an interesting off-season for Peter Chiarelli and the Boston Bruins, depending on where the actual NHL salary cap settles.

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As always, thanks for taking the time to read.  Feel free to leave a comment and go ahead and give me a follow on twitter: @chrispudsey