Don Sweeney says Bruins are discussing new contract with David Pastrnak "every day"
BOSTON -- The puck will drop on the new Bruins season on Wednesday, but there is still some unfinished business before games begin. And with the season just a few days out, that business may bleed into the new season.
That business is, of course, a contract extension for scorer supreme David Pastrnak. Bruins fans have been waiting all summer for the team to lock up their leading goal-scorer in four of the last five seasons, but Pastrnak remains unsigned beyond the 2022-23 season.
Other stars in the NHL have gotten their bag over the last few months. A great comp for Pastrnak is the eight-year, $76 million deal that the Florida Panthers gave Matthew Tkachuk after acquiring him from the Flames via trade. The Boston brass is well aware that they have to pony up some Benjamins for Pastrnak, and the normally frugal franchise sounds ready to do just that.
"David is a special player," CEO Charlie Jacobs said at Monday's Media Day at Warrior Ice Arena. "We try not to comment on ongoing negotiations but David is a special player. Ownership is aware that we need to be aggressive to re-up David to a new contract. To that end, [Don Sweeney] and Cam [Neely] have been working on that."
The risk now is that these negotiations will go into the season, which could cause a distraction for the parties involved and the team as a whole. Sweeney said Monday that the discussions with Pastrnak and his camp happen daily, and they will not stop if they can't reach an agreement before the Bruins take on the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.
"Both sides have been open about continuing our talks, so I don't think things change at all from our standpoint, unless David takes a new position. Up until this standpoint, weve been communicating regularly and when he feels comfortable, hopefully we finalize a deal," Sweeney said Monday. "There's no timeline on that. We'll keep communicating every day to tell you the honest truth, and see if we can find a finish line."
Pastrnak led Boston with 40 goals in his 70 games last season, and the team has no desire to let him leave town. Neely said that his pitch to Pasta has been simple since the talks began.
"We're not stripping it down here. We're gonna build on it," said Neely.
Pastrnak said Monday that he is confident that a deal will get done, but that is not his focus at the moment.
"I really just worry about the hockey," he said. "I have people working for me and I know [my agent] J.P. [Barry] is in daily contact with Sweens. So I don't worry too much besides playing hockey now and having a good start, making sure my game is where it has to be.
"I know they're talking every day. Obviously they're trying to get something done and it's good that they are in touch," he added. "I'm confident it will get done."
The Bruins very much want Pastrnak to be a big piece of what they're building, and Pastrnak knows that. Hopefully the two sides can come to an agreement sometime in the next few days.
