Belichick would agree, just from the opposite stand point.
It's easy for everyone to be loyal when you are okay with mediocrity. It's easy to be loyal when times are good (enough).
I think the real cut throat champions out there could give 0 fricks about the crest on their jersey, or their relationship with the GM/player.
We all look at the Bruins (myself included) as a team...a group that's all in it for themselves. Look at their core...
Marchand's contract was player friendly until he broke out and the cap also went up.
Chara took the highest dollar when he signed as a UFA.
Rask got what many thought was a pretty revolutionary contract for a goalie.
Krecji has been one of the highest paid players in the NHL for many years.
Pastrnak signed before he broke out and before the inflation of RFA deals.
McAvoy signed a nice bridge, but it's still just that - a bridge to a retirement contract.
Krug broke out after his deal and is looking for a significant raise.
We, as fans, like to think our players are more loyal and have higher character than others but I just don't think it's reality. I don't doubt Pastrnak or Hedman would leave their team's in a second if it meant 3-5 million after tax addition to their yearly salary, especially if the team had a shred of a chance to be winners.
Marchand scored 37 goals the year before he signed that contract, averaging 30 goals per 82 games the previous 4 seasons. People were expecting much more than 6.125m. Everyone knew he was a much better player than the 6m dollar crew of the 2016 UFA class.
Chara took a pay cut after his UFA deal was done. His Cap hit from his UFA contract today would be equal to 14.26 in today's cap. His second deal would be only 9.48. A paycut for sure a year after winning the Norris trophy under a much higher cap. His deals of 5m with a 1.5m bonus, and 2m with a 1.25-1.75m bonus have been team friendly as well for a top pairing guy.
Rask just came off a stanley cup run with a .940 S% and a 1.88 GAA and he was payed fairly for it. I've never really seen anyone point to his deal as a huge bargain but any team desperate for that number 1 would have given him a huge pay day a la Bobrovsky.
Krejci signed that contract not long after leading the playoffs in points for the second time in 3 years and was a proven #1 center. His deal under today's cap would be 8.56 million. Again, never really seen anyone say his deal is a bargain, but he for sure could have held out for more.
Pastrnak had just scored 34 goals and 70 points as a 20 year old putting him in pretty fair air, for sure a breakout year. He had ~170 games under his belt showing a lot of flashed of what was to become. He signed for over a million less than a similar caliber player in Kuznetsov(who was coming off a down year of 59 points after hitting 77 the year before) and in the same ballpark as guys like Marleau and Radulov. He could have held out for more.
Mcavoy's bridge to me leans more team friendly. 4.9m is nothing for a guy who is your horse on defence and 3 years is a long bridge deal. You are saving at the very least 2-3 million every year on that deal.
Krug was given a pretty player friendly contract after he signed 2 very cheap one year deals so the Bruins could keep the band together. We will see with his new contract.
I will add, after the playoffs he just had and the contracts given to similar players, Charlie Coyle left a little money on the table. He could haven gotten 6.5+ or an extra year from a few teams. He carried the Bruins even strength scoring during that run. Also, Chris Wagner could have probably gone the route of Accairi or Schaller and signed for more than the 100k raise he signed for as well. Small potatoes but it all adds up. Those two being local helps though and some teams don't have that advantage.