The Twitter world was set alight yesterday when NHL Network analyst Brian Lawton tweeted that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Boston Bruins traded David Pastrnak, but GM Don Sweeney has put a swift end to the speculation. In a report by Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe, Sweeney replies to the rumors with a short “not trading Pastrnak.” The idea of trading a 21-year old sniper coming off a 70-point season seemed improbable at best, even with the Bruins’ history of trading young stars.
Pastrnak is still negotiating his next contract, leading to tons of speculation about why the deal wasn’t done a long time ago. We’ve heard that the talks are in a “holding pattern” but also that Pastrnak is very happy in Boston and with the Bruins. His contract is an important one for the team, as they look to keep their salary structure under control even with some hefty cap hits for declining players. David Krejci, David Backes and Patrice Bergeron are already into their thirties with at least four years remaining on their contracts, while several more young players will need extensions in the next few years.
A long-term deal for Pastrnak would lock him up at a reasonable cap hit for his experience, but may be hard to fit in for the next few years. The Bruins currently have over $10MM to fit him in, but with several holes opening next season their cap room could quickly fizzle out. A short-term deal would keep Pastrnak’s hit lower, but also put him at risk of walking in free agency. Remember that even though he’s just 21, Pastrnak already has three full seasons under his belt in the NHL. He’s set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2021 should the Bruins not get him under contract further than that.