Pavel Zacha is a player that the Boston Bruins might want to hold on to. He recorded a career-high 65 points last season, and for a team searching for center-ice depth, it'd be hard to give another one away. The asking price on the Czech center's contract extension will play a big factor, but if Don Sweeney is looking to make room on the roster, it might be wise to look elsewhere.
The debate between keeping Zacha or Casey Mittelstadt, if one of them has to go, has been hotly contested among the fanbase. Zacha is likely the better player to keep, but a combination of trade returns, contract asks, and a straight-up desire to stay are all factors Sweeney has to consider. If Zacha is the one to leave, some teams should be willing to strike a deal.
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild's center depth is a big reason why they can't emerge from the Central Division gauntlet between them, the Dallas Stars, and the Colorado Avalanche. Dylan Larkin has been an obvious upgrade as the same collection of teams are chasing all the Team USA Olympians, and pairing him with Quinn Hughes under Bill Guerin would fit that mold.
The issue for the Wild is that they aren't willing to pay the price the Detroit Red Wings are asking for Larkin, which means they may need to go for a cheaper option. The Bruins shouldn't sell Zacha for cheap, but they'd likely agree to a deal a bit lower than any team would need to pay for Larkin.
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders would be an interesting landing spot for Zacha, as he already has experience in that area of the United States after his time with the New Jersey Devils. The Devils are another intriguing option, but Sunny Mehta might not want to give up a bundle of assets for a player that the team already traded for Erik Haula.
New York's biggest issue is its offense. Zacha isn't a superstar by any means, but his 65 points would've been second on the team behind Mathew Barzal. Before Islanders fans argue that there is no Pastrnak there to get points off of, Zacha recorded the majority of his five-on-five points with Casey Mittelstadt and Viktor Arvidsson. If the Islanders paired Zacha with Barzal, it'd be more offensive skill than he played with in his 65-point season.
Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings' possibility to acquire Larkin has plenty of ties to the Larkin situation. If Larkin opens up his trade list, could the teams cook up a Zacha-for-Larkin trade? If Larkin goes elsewhere, would Detroit overpay to add another center and give the Bruins a chance to capitalize? Regardless, the Red Wings likely wouldn't add Zacha with Larkin still there, which means they are left in a holding pattern until that materializes.
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