Bruins David Pastrnak Getting Closer to Signing Contract Extension

Now that the Boston Bruins have signed one Czech forward (Pavel Zacha), another one is getting closer. Superstar goal scorer David Pastrnak is reportedly getting closer to a deal. This may be the most important extension for the team going forward. Pastrnak has been their best player all year and is a core piece for years to come.

Bruins David Pastrnak Getting Closer To An Extension

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Insider Trading has discussed the recent rumblings, and one of those rumblings was Pastrnak. A deal appears to be much closer than it was a few weeks ago. The importance of this getting done is crucial and given everything Pastrnak has done up until this point should show he’s worth every penny. Pastrnak currently makes $6.6 million per season and is due for a hefty raise that could reach anywhere between $10-12 million.

A Look at Recent NHL Contracts for Comparison

Jonathan Huberdeau

This is the first comparison when thinking about recent long-term contracts. Upon one of the biggest trades in recent memory, the Calgary Flames made sure to lock up their new winger. Why did he earn the hefty raise of $10.5 million per season? Huberdeau had a career year and set the hockey world on fire in 2021-22. He tied his career high in goals (30) and set a career-high in assists (85) and points (115). In addition, he had a whopping 38 powerplay points and demonstrated his playmaking ability all season long.

Matthew Tkachuk

This one is an interesting comparison because their playing styles are wildly different. Tkachuk is a solid two-way winger who is not afraid to get physical, whereas Pastrnak is more of a finesse winger and pure goal scorer. He is comparable because Tkachuk secured a significant pay raise after a career season. Tkachuk is locked in for the next seven seasons with a cap hit of $9.5 million per season. Besides, living in Florida and having no state income tax helps lower that value. Tkachuk set a career-high in goals (42), assists (62), and points (104). He has now followed that up with 56 points in 42 games played.

Both of these players had career seasons and got paid for it. But how does this workout for Pastrnak and the Bruins?

The Case for the Bruins to Resign Pastrnak

The precedent was always taking less in Boston to keep the band together. Well, the band is getting older and cannot stay together forever. But like the two mentioned above, Pastrnak is poised for a career season. In 43 games this season, he has 35 goals, 27 assists, and 62 points. He is on pace for a whopping 118 points and 66 goals. This would shatter his career highs of 48 goals and 95 points he set in 2019-20.

Pastrnak has been nothing but fantastic since joining the team. The Czech winger has surpassed the 30-goal mark four times and the 40-goal mark twice. In 553 games, he has 275 goals, 291 assists, and 566 points, making him a career point-per-game player.

With the core group getting older and a new wave of Boston hockey coming up, he is a large core piece moving forward.