David Pastrnak has been perhaps the most exhilarating player on the Boston Bruins. The team drafted him with the 25th pick in the 2014 draft. He’s known for his puck control and diverse deking ability. He impressed in his first season but struggled in his second season to improve his offensive production. Finally breaking out, Pasta had 70 points in 75 games. This was good for second on the team behind Brad Marchand (85 points). He mainly played on the first line, though was occasionally bumped down to the second line to create more balance. Despite playing with David Krejci in previous years, most B’s fans thought he was a better fit on the first line. In late July, general manager Don Sweeney released this non-optimistic statement on the contract negotiation:

“We’re at the same point as when (the press) asked me the last time,” said Sweeney. “We’re in a holding pattern. I have not made as much progress as I would like. But we have plenty of time and opportunity to continue to talk and we will find a landing spot.”

Some comparable contracts are:

Leon Draisaitl: $8.5 mil per yr.

Johnny Gaudreau: $6.75 mil per yr.

Filip Forsberg: $6 mil per yr.

Jonathan Drouin: $5.5 mil per yr.

You have to keep in mind that Draisaitl may have gotten overpaid because of the margin between his contract and Connor McDavid’s massive contract worth $12.5 mil per yr. Some rumors say that Pasta’s camp may have waited on Draisaitl’s contract as a comparable. The Bruins are rumored to be asking for $6 mil, 6 year contract. Some recent reports say that Boston is giving him the option between a 6 yr. or 7 yr. deal. Others reports support that his camp aren’t impressed with any of the offers he’s recieving.

With the market rising, it seems like the Bruins and his camp are intent on a long term deal, not a bridge deal. This is smart as players like Evgeny Kuznetsov are gaining $7.8 mil per yr.

We will see what concludes with this deal but it could take a while…