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David Pastrnak

Atlantic Notes: Pastrnak, Karlsson, Brassard, Athanasiou

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While the Bruins and unsigned winger David Pastrnak remain far apart on money, Pastrnak’s agent J.P. Barry told Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald that they are both in agreement on discussing a maximum eight-year term.  Prior reports have suggested that the team is offering around $6MM per year while Pastrnak’s camp is looking for something closer to the $8.5MM that Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl signed for earlier this offseason so there is still quite a gap to bridge financially.  TSN’s Pierre LeBrun adds (Twitter link) that there were lengthy discussions between the two sides today.

More from the Atlantic:

  • There remains no timeline for Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson to resume skating as he continues his recovery from foot surgery back in June, reports Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. At the time of the procedure, the expected recovery time was four months.  As a result, his availability for the season opener a month from now against Washington is now in question.
  • Another Senators player recovering from offseason surgery is center Derick Brassard, who told Postmedia’s Ken Warren that he feels that his recovery is ahead of schedule. The 29-year-old went under the knife to repair a torn labrum on June 6th with an expected recovery time of four-to-five months.  He doesn’t expect team doctors to clear him for contact until at least the four-month mark which makes it unlikely that he’ll play in the opener on October 5th.
  • There’s “nothing new” on contract talks between the Red Wings and RFA winger Andreas Athanasiou, GM Ken Holland told Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Meanwhile, Athanasiou’s agent Darren Ferris told reporters that the KHL has “moved to more of a probability at this time”.  James notes that AK Bars Kazan in the KHL has a one-year offer worth between $2.5MM-$3MM while the Red Wings are coming in at two years at around $1.9MM.  It wouldn’t be surprising if Detroit’s PTO deal for P.A. Parenteau from earlier today came about with the uncertainty surrounding Athanasiou’s situation.

Morning Notes: Allaire, Rangers, Pastrnak

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While the average hockey fan may not know the name of many goaltending coaches around the league, Francois Allaire could be the exception. Beginning 32 years ago with the Montreal Canadiens and Patrick Roy, he revolutionized the position as one of the first notable “butterfly” coaches. Allaire would mentor Roy from the minor leagues all the way to the Stanley Cup, before moving on to other stops around the league.

Now, after more than three decades in the game Allaire has decided to retire according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. The Colorado Avalanche, his last stop, hired Semyon Varlamov’s personal goaltending coach this summer to replace him. The goaltending position (and because of it, the game in general) looks much different in 2017, and much of that has to do with Allaire and his disciples changing it from one of reflex to one of positioning. While he leaves the game, his legacy does not.

  • The New York Rangers have named former players Brian Leetch and Brad Richards Hockey Operations Advisors, joining a front office they once played for. Both will work with prospects in the organization to try and unlock their full potential. Leetch is a Hall of Fame defenseman who is one of the greatest Rangers of all-time, playing 17 years for the club before ending his career with short stops in Toronto and Boston. Richards on the other hand spent just three seasons with New York near the end of his career, but is a two-time Stanley Cup winner and was a dominant two-way center for many years.
  • Still with the Rangers, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that Filip Chytil’s injury is not as serious as originally thought, and though the first-round pick will miss the rookie tournament, could be available for the team’s training camp. Chytil suffered a groin injury in the Four Nations Tournament this summer, but is an exciting young prospect for the Rangers to get a look at this fall.
  • Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the David Pastrnak camp continues to point towards Leon Draisaitl’s eight-year, $68MM contract as a comparable in negotiations with the Boston Bruins. Draisaitl and Pastrnak are similar ages and both experienced a breakout this season, though the latter’s was relatively unexpected. Draisaitl’s deal comes after a 77-point season playing mostly alongside Connor McDavid, while Pastrnak jumped from 26 points in 2015-16 to 70 this season. The Bruins’ winger is a restricted free agent, and would be giving up four UFA years should he sign an eight-year contract.

David Pastrnak: To Bridge Or Not To Bridge?

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By all accounts, it seems like David Pastrnak’s talks with the Bruins haven’t gone as well as either side has hoped so far.  While there is mutual interest in a long-term contract, there seems to be a big difference regarding what the cap hit on the deal should be.

Late last month, it was reported that the Bruins had made a $6MM per year offer for either six or seven years with Pastrnak getting to choose the term.  That would allow them to keep his cap hit below winger Brad Marchand, something that they’re believed to be keen on doing.  However, it sounds like that’s not a deal that Pastrnak is willing to sign considering nothing like that has been signed yet.

What complicates things a bit here is that the 21-year-old is coming off of quite the career season.  After recording just 27 and 26 points in his first two seasons, Pastrnak had a breakout year, tallying 34 goals along with 36 assists.  That really helps his bargaining position but the question becomes is this a sign of things to come or was 2016-17 a year where everything went perfectly and he’s going to be more of a 50-60 point player down the road?

Given his first two seasons, it wouldn’t be surprising if GM Don Sweeney isn’t at least trying to hedge against Pastrnak seeing his point total drop next season.  If that is the case, it would stand to reason that this is a factor in the delay in getting a contract done.

When there is a difference in opinion as to what a player could realistically produce in the years to come, a short-term deal becomes that much more legitimate of an option.  While it hasn’t been discussed too much in this particular case, that could change somewhat soon if the stalemate is still ongoing closer to training camp.

A two-year contract would potentially serve as a compromise where Pastrnak would still get a significant raise from his entry-level salary while the Bruins would get more certainty over the next couple of seasons as to whether or not Pastrnak can continue to produce at a high-end level.

Of course, there are some drawbacks to this – the Bruins would be giving up the chance to have four RFA (cheaper) years as part of a long-term deal that would help keep the AAV lower while if Pastrnak doesn’t produce as much over that span, he could wind up with potentially less money in the long run.  These types of risks aren’t unique to this circumstance though, that’s just the nature of the beast on short-term contracts at this stage of a career.

With there still being the better part of two weeks left before training camp, both sides can rightfully continue to focus on hammering out a long-term pact.  But if those talks aren’t fruitful, a bridge deal may be the way to go even if it’s not what either side prefers to do.

Bruins Notes: Pastrnak, Beleskey, PTO Candidates

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The negotiations between the Boston Bruins and 21-year-old superstar David Pastrnak have dominated the headlines in recent weeks, despite the fact that there has been little substance to the actual news. Pastrnak is a restricted free agent coming off of a break-out 70-point campaign and is looking for a long-term contract. The Bruins would like to provide him with one and reportedly made an offer of six or seven years worth $6MM per season earlier this summer, after which there has not been much of a response. While that does seem to be somewhat below market value, especially in light of Leon Draisaitl’s new deal in Edmonton, any report that Pastrnak’s side is unhappy with the offer or unwilling to deal with GM Don Sweeney or President Cam Neely is nothing more than speculation.

Well, it seems that some clarity – and perhaps a conclusion – could soon be on the way. Pastrnak’s agent, J.P. Barry, arrived in Boston yesterday to meet with the Bruins’ brass to discuss the situation. By all accounts, this is the first in-person discussion that the two sides have had this summer, perhaps lending to the idea that the delay in the new contract could be due more to scheduling than anything else. The Bruins still appear certain that they will be able to come to terms on a new deal with Pastrnak, with Neely telling Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald that “David has expressed that he loves it here and wants to play here. We want him here for as long as it makes sense for us.” If Pastrnak continues to produce like he did in 2016-17, what “makes sense” for the Bruins is to keep him as long as possible. With that in mind, they should be flexible to an extent on the salary demands. On the other hand, Neely points out that, outside of the deals signed by former Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli in Edmonton, the market has not changed all that much and their offer to Pastrnak is within reason compared to contracts signed by similar players in recent years. There seems to be a mutual interest between both sides on getting a new deal done and a resolution could be reached in the coming days, finally putting to end a news cycle of fear mongering regarding Boston and their top young scorer.

  • Once Pastrnak is signed, Bruins fans can turn their frustration and anxiety to a new target, which will more than likely be Matt Beleskey. With Jimmy Hayes gone, Beleksey will now face the full ire of the Boston fan base some training camp. Admittedly, Beleksey is fresh off of a very disappointing season. The veteran winger was plagued by injury and ineffectiveness in 2016-17, playing in just 49 games and recording only eight points. While his $3.8MM cap hit is manageable, more is expected at that price tag. However, many are quick to forget that Beleskey’s first season in Boston, 2015-16, was the best of his career. The big forward set a career high with 22 assists and 37 points and skated in a career best 15:51 minutes per game. Beleskey’s 260 hits were also tops on the team, helping to make up for the loss of Milan Lucic, a fan-favorite. In fact, Beleskey had “new fan-favorite” written all over him heading into last season, but that has surely changed. Yet, Beleskey told CSNNE’s Joe Haggerty that he plans to stick to his game this season. Beleskey has spent much of the off-season training in Boston and working to improve his speed, but has no intention of cutting back on any of his trademark physicality. If he is fully healthy and re-focused, as Haggerty sited a “touch of complacency” last season, then bringing that physical edge back to the Boston lineup would be a welcome addition. Yes, Beleskey faces stiff competition this fall for a top-nine spot from Frank Vatrano, UFA add Kenny Agostino, and promising prospects Anders Bjork, Jake DeBrusk, Peter Cehlarik, and Danton Heinen, but his size and strength match up with the historical preference in line mates of second-line center David Krejci, who played his best hockey alongside Lucic and Nathan Horton years ago. If Beleskey really can return to form, he will certainly be given a shot at a scoring role and could find a good fit alongside Krejci and David Backes. 
  • The two themes of the Bruins’ summer have been 1) the team wants to give the kids a chance to make the team this season and 2) the off-season priority is an extension for Pastrnak. That combination has led to speculation that the Bruins would have interest in a late-summer signing or PTO for veteran wingers, after Pastrnak had signed and the up-and-coming forwards had gotten a look. Until recently, Drew Stafford, who performed well in Boston at the end of last season and kept in touch with the team all summer, and Thomas Vanek, whose career has pitted him against Boston many times, were considered two of the top candidates. Now, both have signed with other teams for the coming season and the Bruins’ options are getting thin. Between the aforementioned Bjork, DeBrusk, Cehlark, and Heinen on the left side and top forward prospect Zach Senyshyn on the right, as well as center Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson potentially pushing Ryan Spooner to the wing or sliding outside himself, the Bruins could easily plug their holes internally. However, if they think that those young players need more seasoning, Beleskey, Vatrano, Agostino, Spooner, and Riley Nash are a group that could use some more competition for top-nine spots. The last thing the team needs is to push natural checking line players, like Noel Acciari and Tim Schaller, into the top nine like they did last year.  Depth on the right side is more concerning and the likes of Alex Chiasson or Teddy Purcell could be intriguing PTO candidates, while a high-ceiling scorer like P.A. Parenteau or Jiri Hudler may also be worth a look. With the recent influx of PTO agreements, the Bruins may need to enter the fray before the Pastrnak negotions are over, or else risk missing out on a closer look at one of these options.

Snapshots: Pastrnak, Dahlen, Patrick

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David Pastrnak leads a group of intriguing restricted free agents into September with no contract, and it doesn’t sound like much progress has been made between his camp and the Boston Bruins of late. Joe McDonald of the Boston Sports Journal reports that the team hasn’t even gotten a response on their $6MM offer for either six or seven years.

Agent J.P. Barry is set to meet with the Bruins on September 1st, meaning a contract could follow in short order, but there does seem to still be a gap between the two sides. After a huge breakout by Pastrnak last season, handing an $8MM salary out still may be a bit worrisome for the Boston front office.

  • Jonathan Dahlen, the Vancouver Canucks prospect acquired from Ottawa in last season’s Alex Burrows deal, still hasn’t decided on a European team to play for this season, according to Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130. Though Dahlen will be attending the Canucks’ rookie camp in Penticton, it doesn’t seem like he’s destined for the Utica Comets this season after all. Instead, he’ll likely play in the SHL, a step up after dominating Sweden’s second-league last season.
  • In what may be just a bit of bluster from the GM in order to motivate a young player, Ron Hextall of the Flyers told Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer that Nolan Patrick will have to earn his way onto the team and that he’s perfectly fine with sending him back to the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL. It’s unlikely that Patrick doesn’t crack the squad, but Hextall was clear that they will do whatever they think is right for the long-term development of their prized center. Patrick’s game is arguably more ready for the NHL than fellow top prospect Nico Hischier, and he should be in the opening lineup for the Flyers in game one.

Poll: Which Restricted Free Agents Will Miss The Start Of The Season?

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After Toronto Maple Leafs’ forward Connor Brown signed this weekend, the count is now fourteen on remaining restricted free agents still to sign. David Pastrnak, Alexander Wennberg and Bo Horvat lead the group, while Damon Severson, Sam Bennett and Andreas Athanasiou all represent important players on their clubs.

While most of these fourteen will surely sign within the next few weeks and be ready for the start of the season, there are often a few that take a little longer to sign. Last year we saw Rickard Rakell, Hampus Lindholm and Jacob Trouba all sign contracts after the regular season had begun. Though Rakell was injured and wouldn’t return until the beginning of November anyway, the other two missed important game action that could have cost their teams in the standings.

With the end of August upon us, there could be more examples of RFAs holding out into the season. Below we’re asking you to vote on who you think will be left without a contract come the beginning of the year. Every RFA that has yet to be officially signed by his team is listed. You can vote for as many as you want, and make sure to leave how many games you think they’ll each miss in the comments.

Which RFAs Will Be Without A Contract At The Beginning Of The Season?
Andreas Athanasiou (DET) 23.73% (140 votes)
David Pastrnak (BOS) 22.20% (131 votes)
All will be signed 11.53% (68 votes)
Nikita Zadorov (COL) 7.80% (46 votes)
Anthony Duclair (ARZ) 5.76% (34 votes)
Bo Horvat (VAN) 5.59% (33 votes)
Sam Bennett (CGY) 5.59% (33 votes)
Alexander Wennberg (CBJ) 4.58% (27 votes)
Robbie Russo (DET) 3.22% (19 votes)
Petteri Lindbohm (STL) 2.71% (16 votes)
Damon Severson (NJD) 2.03% (12 votes)
Tyler Wotherspoon (CGY) 1.86% (11 votes)
Josh Anderson (CBJ) 1.69% (10 votes)
Brett Kulak (CGY) 1.69% (10 votes)
Total Votes: 590

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Bruins Have Made $6MM Offer To David Pastrnak

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Bruins restricted free agent winger David Pastrnak is the most prominent of the 14 remaining restricted free agents.  Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe reports that Boston is offering the 21-year-old $6MM on a long-term deal with Pastrnak getting to choose whether it’s for six years or seven.

David PastrnakThe $6MM AAV is notably below that of winger Brad Marchand’s $6.125MM that he received on his extension last September.  Boston has more than enough cap room to fit a deal like that in as they currently sit with a little over $10MM in cap space at the moment per CapFriendly.  It has been reported that the team would like to keep his cap hit below Marchand’s despite some of the big money contracts and extensions that have been handed out to players in restricted free agency so far this offseason.

While it doesn’t appear that there has been much progress on talks lately, GM Don Sweeney remains hopeful that an agreement is reached by training camp and believes it’s critical that Pastrnak is signed by then:

“We will find a landing spot. There are deadlines that exist, but I believe it’s a disservice to the player and the team to miss training camp, to be late for training camp, and to start the season. I don’t think anyone recovers the money. I don’t think anybody recovers the lost service time — team or player. It’s been proven. The team gets off to a slow start. It’s just completely disruptive. So my feeling has been all along, we are going to negotiate in complete good faith.”

Pastrnak is coming off a career year that saw him post 34 goals and 36 assists in 75 games; his point total of 70 eclipsing the total of his first two NHL seasons combined (53 in 97 contests).  He followed that up with a good playoff effort as well, collecting four points (2-2-4) in six games while logging more than 21 minutes a night.

If Pastrnak doesn’t want to accept the offer on the table and Boston insists on keeping the AAV below Marchand’s, it will be interesting to see if they look at reducing the term on the deal.  A bridge contract would allow them to get Pastrnak signed at a lower rate than is currently on the table while giving the winger arbitration rights at the end of it and staying within his RFA years.  Doing so may not be an ideal option for either side but it could represent enough of a compromise if the wheels continue to spin on long-term discussions.  Sweeney put an end to any speculation of a possible trade earlier this month when he stated that the Bruins will not be moving their rising star.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NHL Snapshots: Engelland, Pastrnak, Eichel

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There were some confused faces a couple of months ago when fading veteran defenseman Deryk Engelland was one of the first players that the Vegas Golden Knights began to negotiate with when the team’s clock started to get the first-crack at negotiating with free agents. Afterall, the long-time veteran was never a blueliner to put up offensive numbers, but it was his defensive skills and speed that had begun to show signs of wear and tear in the last year or two.

Yet, the Golden Knights chose to ink the 35-year old to a one-year, $1MM deal instead of taking one of Calgary’s exposed players in the expansion draft. Perhaps the main reason is that Engelland has been an offseason resident of Las Vegas for the last 14 years, according to Alex Prewitt of Sports Illustrated. He initially spent two years in Las Vegas starting in 2003, playing for the ECHL’s Las Vegas Wranglers, where he eventually met his wife and then settled down in the city. His knowledge and experience with the fledgling sports city has proven valuable to many Vegas-bound players who are slowly arriving for the team’s inaugural season. The veteran has helped several players including defenseman Nate Schmidt and forward Erik Haula in getting settled before the season starts.

Engelland’s veteran presence and leadership skills should prove valuable to a stable of young defenseman such as Schmidt, Shea Theodore, Luca Sbisa, Brayden McNabb, Jonathon Merrill and Colin Miller amongst several others.

  • Lyle Richardson of The Hockey News writes that despite an earlier rumor that Boston’s David Pastrnak might be traded which was quickly shot down by Bruins’ general manager Don Sweeney, the team’s hopes of signing him to a six-year deal for $6MM annually is not going to happen. Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl’s new eight-year, $64MM deal will only make negotiations with Pastrnak’s camp more challenging for the GM. Richardson writes that he believes Pastrnak’s camp may not ask for the $8.5MM AAV that Draisaitl received, but the Bruins must at least come up to a minimum of $7MM annually to get a long-term deal struck.
  • Speaking of long-term deals, Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington writes that phenom Jack Eichel has made it explicitly clear that he wants to sign a long-term deal to stay in Buffalo. The scribe also writes that both sides want the extension completed before training camp starts next month. “I’ve made it clear that I want to be a Sabre. I want to be in Buffalo when we start winning,” Eichel reiterated. “I want to reward the city. It’s been two great years. I don’t want to go anywhere else.” After recent extensions for Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, the team must figure out where Eichel’s contract should fit. Harrington suggests a deal around $9MM per year is what Buffalo hopes to ink him to. The 20-year old is coming off a second 24-goal season, but this year he did it in fewer games, having missed 21 games due to a high ankle sprain suffered at the beginning of the season.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Boston Bruins

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Boston Bruins

Current Cap Hit: $64,848,335 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry Level Contracts

D Charlie McAvoy (two years remaining, $917K)
D Brandon Carlo (two years remaining, $789K)
F Frank Vatrano (one year remaining, $792.5K)
F Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson (two years remaining, $917K)
F Anders Bjork (three years remaining, $925K)

Boston has one of the deeper prospect pipelines in the NHL with upwards of a dozen players in the system on entry-level deals who could earn a call-up before that deal expires. However, this group of five stands the best chance of having a major impact on the Bruins right away in 2017-18.

Carlo, of course, already has a full year under his belt in which he skated in all 82 regular season games and played in over 20 minutes per night, all under the tutelage of one of the best defensive players of his generation: Zdeno Chara. Carlo has already made his #37 overall draft slot look like a steal, but with two more years at under $800K as he develops into a shutdown NHL defender, he could be one of the best blue line bargains in the league.

McAvoy is certainly ready to give Carlo a run for that title though. One of the Calder Trophy favorites for the upcoming season, McAvoy was thrown into the fire last season, making his NHL debut in the Bruins opening round playoff series. McAvoy performed admirably among a ragtag group of replacement players on Boston’s battered blue line and showed that he is more than ready for NHL action. Burning a season off of McAvoy’s ELC was a tough call for GM Don Sweeney and company, but giving McAvoy a taste last year could pay off this year. The former Boston University star and 2016 first-rounder will have all eyes on him in 2017-18.

Burning a year off of Forsbacka Karlsson’s entry-level deal for just one late-season game may have been ill-advised however. The Bruins love “JFK” and his two-way ability and cerebral play at center, with some in the organization and outside observers comparing him to Boston’s own Patrice Bergeron, widely considered the best two-way forward in the game. Those are big expectations to meet, but the Bruins will give Forsbacka Karlsson every chance to earn a regular role this season as they work to develop him into a well-rounded pro. JFK may not have the immediate impact, and expected pay day, of Carlo or McAvoy, but in two years he will certainly be worth more than $917K.

Vatrano has been a revelation for Boston since he was signed as an undrafted free agent, leaving UMass Amherst early in 2015. Vatrano led the AHL in goal scoring in 2015-16 with a stunning 36 goals in 36 games, while tallying 29 points in 83 NHL games along the way as well. Injury and inconsistency slowed down Vatrano’s rapid ascension last season, making 2017-18, his final ELC season, a major year in his career.

Finally, the Bruins were able to convince Bjork, a superstar at Notre Dame and the team’s 2014 fifth-round pick, to leave school early and sign on in Boston. The maximum three-year, $925K per ELC was nice motivation, but the team likely had to promise some play time as well. While Bjork’s spot on the team this season is not set in stone, with fellow high-end prospects Jake DeBrusk, Zach Senyshyn, Peter Cehlarik, and Danton Heinen clamoring for NHL play time, it seems that he’ll certainly get a chance. If the 2016-17 Hobey Baker candidate can find even remotely similar success in the big leagues compared to his past two NCAA seasons, his three-years of production at under $1MM will look mighty nice on the Bruins’ payroll.

One Year Remaining

D Zdeno Chara ($4MM, UFA)
F Ryan Spooner ($2.825MM, RFA)
F Riley Nash ($900K, UFA)
G Anton Khudobin ($1.2MM, UFA)

While it is a relatively painless 2018 free agency class for Boston, the end of Chara’s contract does loom large. The NHL’s tallest man has been the Bruins top defenseman since he signed with the team originally back in 2006 and very well could continue to be next season. It is possible that the Bruins re-sign Chara, whose cap hit drops from nearly $7MM to just $4MM this year, to a more affordable, short-term contract, but the more likely scenario is that the 40-year-old simply retires. He’ll leave the Boston blue line in much better condition than he found it back in ’06, with Torey Krug ready to lead the next wave of McAvoy, Carlo, and prospects like Jakub Zboril, Jeremy Lauzon, Ryan Lindgren, and Uhro Vaakanainen, but his size, strength, experience, and most of all, leadership, will not be easy to replace. The captain’s absence will be felt before the team even takes the ice for 2018-19 and could lead to the Bruins using the cap space Chara leaves behind to explore the free agent market.

Spooner and the Bruins nearly went to salary arbitration this summer, agreeing to terms on a one-year extension the morning of the hearing. Next year could be a very similar situation, whether Spooner performs or not. If Spooner can bounce back from a down 2016-17 season and prove that he is more than just a one-dimensional power play asset, then the Bruins will have to give him a raise on his new $2.825MM deal. If Spooner yet again struggles with the two-way and positional aspects of the game and is overshadowed by the Bruins’ younger talent, Sweeney will have to decide between bringing Spooner back again at a similar price and using up a roster spot or instead trading him away.

Nash and Khudobin, both signed on July 1st, 2016 to affordable two-year deals, also had incredibly similar seasons last year. Both were very disappointing for much of the year before their play picked up toward the end of the season. Going into 2017-18, Nash faces more pressure as he could take on the full responsibility of being the veteran presence on the checking line with Dominic Moore now gone. If Nash rises to the occasion, the Bruins have shown a fondness and loyalty toward their veteran fourth-liners and could reward Nash with an extension and a raise. If not, he’ll be gone. Khudobin also needs to have a big year, with starter Tuukka Rask in need of more rest than he got last season, but if Khudobin flops or if 24-year-old Zane McIntyre continues to light up the AHL, it seems very unlikely that he will re-sign.

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Boston Bruins Still Intent On Long-Term Deal With David Pastrnak

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After Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney came out definitively saying the team would not trade David Pastrnak, CEO Charlie Jacobs had a little more detail to share on the ongoing negotiations. According to Ty Anderson of WEEI, Jacobs reiterated on the radio today the fact that they were not going to trade their young forward, and wanted to sign him to a long-term deal of six or more years. Jacobs directly addressed the rumor from earlier this week:

I think by virtue of it being the middle of August, some of the writers may feel compelled and come up with something interesting to sell a paper perhaps. I wanted to ask Brian Lawton who his source was, but I’m not sure he’d give it up.

As we saw earlier today with the eight-year contract signed by Leon Draisaitl, and examined at length this week, long-term deals for key players often happen late into the summer or even early fall. While training camp is set to start in a few weeks, the team still has plenty of time to work out a contract before the start of the season is in jeopardy.

Pastrnak is coming off a 70-point season and will be looking directly at Draisaitl’s contract in negotiations. Though he may not be able to secure the same $68MM deal, an average salary approaching $8MM per season is not out of the question. The Bruins currently have just over $10MM in cap space to fit him in, but can’t hamstring themselves with an overpayment.

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