When David Krejci renewed his contract for six years knowing he’d turn 35 in the final season of it, people did question whether the Boston Bruins were doing the right thing. However, at the time it was normal to reward your older players when they reached free agency.
Nowadays, the marketplace seems to have shifted and you have the likes of Connor McDavid on $12.5 million straight off his entry-level deal, but back then you earned the right to be paid well.
David Krejci, when the Boston Bruins renewed him had proven himself as a reliable 60-point regular season player but more importantly, one that scored big in the play-offs, thus had earned the six years of term at $7.