The Boston Bruins have been the subject of ongoing trade speculation this season. In particular, one Bruins forward consistently in trade conversation is Pavel Zacha. The 28-year-old has been linked to just about every team looking for a center.
Despite ongoing chatter, one insider stated that Zacha isn’t going anywhere. If anything, the Bruins will be looking to hold on to him for the long haul.
As my colleague Scott Roche noted in an earlier piece, insider Pierre LeBrun effectively shut down any talk about Zacha going anywhere. That situation means that Zacha won't be on the market any time soon.
Zacha is in the third year of a four-year, $19 million deal. Technically, Zacha can’t sign an extension until July 1, 2026. The question will be, how will an extension for Zacha look like if and when it gets to that? Would the Bruins sign him to a max-term seven or eight-year deal? What would the dollar figures look like?
The initial thought would be the Bruins extending Zacha on another four or five year deal. The dollar figures would likely be similar to his current deal. Although, the Bruins may seek to keep his AAV down by adding an extra year to his deal.
Certainly, the Bruins will have some more cap space to play with next season, as the projected ceiling will land at $104 million.
Zacha could be part of Bruins' rebuild
One of the most feared words in Boston is “rebuild.” The subpar start to this season has triggered discussion regarding a teardown and rebuild for the Bruins. If that’s the case, the team will need to determine who would be part of the new core to build around.
On the surface, David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Jeremy Swayman would be that core. But judging from LeBrun’s comments, another member of that core would be Pavel Zacha. Pastrnak is a winger. While he’s the team’s best player, the Bruins will need a center to anchor their top six.
That’s where Zacha comes into play. The Bruins will need a cornerstone center to build around. It seems that, if the Bruins go the rebuilding route, Zacha could be part of that cornerstone top line.
Since the season is almost a month in, the Bruins look to be hurtling towards a playoff miss. Of course, things can change in a heartbeat. But if they don’t, the selloff may begin. But fans can count on Zacha staying, at least as far as Pierre LeBrun is concerned.