In the midst of a monster season, David Pastrnak inked a huge extension with the Boston Bruins ahead of this year's NHL trade deadline.
The forward's contract is for eight years and carries an $11.25 million cap hit, which will kick in next season. Previously set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, the extension takes arguably the top UFA off the market.
Below, we take a look at how the contract breaks down for the Bruins.
The Decision to Extend
Pastrnak has spent his entire career in Boston since being drafted 25th overall by the Bruins in 2014. This season though, he's been the team's MVP, posting numbers we've only seen from him once before.
Pastrnak has scored 49 goals and 95 points in 71 games this season, leading the team by a huge margin in both categories. He hasn't missed a game so far this season and his 82-game pace stands at 57 goals and 110 points. As of now, he sits second in the NHL in goals, behind only Connor McDavid.
As a result, Pastrnak was already destined for a big raise and his play this season only raised the price. That said, given his impact and age, prioritizing re-signing the winger was key.
A lot of emphasis has been put on this potentially being the last run for the Bruins. This could be the last season for either or both of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci and some of the narratives was tied to Pastrnak's expiring contract as well. Even if the Bruins do inevitably lose players in the offseason, however, it would be difficult to imagine them not competing next season. Especially with Pastrnak in the fold, the Bruins will remain competitive.
Pastrnak is still just 26 years old and should continue to be a pillar for the team in the years to come. The focus is on competing now and even if the Bruins do face a potential decline in the coming years, losing Pastrnak in the offseason would've been a massive blow to their ability to compete in the next couple of years.
The Cap Hit
Pastrnak's $11.25 million cap hit will make him the second-highest-paid winger in the NHL. While it's a significant number though, it's hard to argue against it.
The winger's numbers are top-tier this season and he's been the best forward on the NHL's best team. Perhaps Johnny Gaudreau and Jonathan Huberdeau's deals coming in lower last season presented an argument for less money on Pastrnak's extension, but his cap hit is far from an overpayment. Had Pastrnak hit free agency, he was probably going to get paid a lot more.
Pastrnak's raise certainly doesn't help Boston's cap situation next season, with over half their forward group becoming free agents this summer. At the same time, the salary cap will rise and as it does, the deal will start to look better.
The Term
Obviously, a maximum-term deal isn't much of a surprise. It was just a matter of whether Pastrnak would take eight years with Boston or sign for seven elsewhere. At just 26 years old, Pastrnak still has a lot of good years ahead of him before any potential decline.
The only caveat to this is there's a good chance the Bruins may not be competitive for all these years. At a certain point of the contract, there's a chance we see Boston begin to rebuild. Again though, the deal was never going to be for less than maximum term, regardless.
Trade Protection
Pastrnak's deal also carries a full no-move clause for the first five years. That trade protection will take him until he's 32 years old, where he'd need to fully approve any move. For the last three years of the contract though, this does change.
Starting in 2028, Pastrnak will list eight teams he can be traded (and this will become 10 teams in 2029). In the final year of the deal, Pastrnak will have just a 10-team no-trade list. While trade protection won't matter in the next few years, it could be important down the road. There's a chance we do see Boston decline and by that point, it's possible Pastrnak could be used as a trade chip, as part of a rebuild. At the very least, the team having some flexibility helps.
Overall, this is a fair deal. Pastrnak's monster year has justified the price tag and a maximum-term contract was the expectation. Boston couldn't afford to let him walk away, even if it required handing out a massive raise.
It's going to be interesting to see if Pastrnak can sustain this production from year to year. Last season, Pastrnak's 82-game pace was close to 45 goals and 90 points, rather than this season's pace of about 55 goals and 110 points.
Regardless, Pastrnak is poised to be a top winger in the league for a long time. With the extension, arguably the top pending free agent is off the market and the Bruins have one less thing to worry about, in what's sure to be a busy offseason.
Grade: B
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