David Pastrnak has proven to be a godsend to the Boston Bruins.
The Athletic’s Harman Dayal on Monday identified the right winger as the Bruins player who has the “best value contract” on the team. The six-year, $40 contract Pastrnak signed in 2017 seems like a bargain, now that the 23-year-old has cemented his place on the Bruins’ top line and blossomed into one of the NHL’s most feared goal scorers.
“After trading David Backes away, the Bruins’ cap management relative to the talent they’ve accumulated is maybe the closest you’ll find to perfect,” Dayal wrote. “They’ve got all their top players inked at significant discounts and have John Moore as the only regrettable deal on their books.
“Leading their group of excellent deals is David Pastrnak, who was on pace to hit 56 goals and 111 points this season at a ticket under $7-million annually. With three years left after this one to carry Pastrnak through his prime, he’s a contender for the best contract in the entire league.”
Pastrnak had tallied a league-leading 48 goals, and his 95 points were fourth-highest when the NHL paused its season last month. The going rate for players who produce at that level is much higher than Pastrnak’s base salary, so there’s no doubt his contract represents great value to his team and no argument against NHL Network reporter E.J. Hradek’s months-old assertion the Bruins “hit the jackpot” by inking him to such a deal.
