Pavel Zacha is ready for a fresh start and it sounds like Boston is the best place for him to do just that.
The forward was traded to the Bruins from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Erik Haula on Wednesday during the first day of NHL free agency.
Zacha was drafted sixth overall by the Devils in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft and hasn’t quite hit his ceiling yet. Maybe that’s due to playing on a team like New Jersey or hasn’t had the right team surrounding him. But with players like Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak (and potentially Patrice Bergeron), it’s probably a safe bet he’ll beat his career-best 36 points from last season.
Whatever it was, the 25-year-old knows he can bring more to the Bruins.
Zacha met with the media Thursday for his introductory press conference and told reporters, per The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter, that he “wasn’t close” to where he could be as a member of the Devils.
A change of scenery probably will do him some good, especially in a city he’s trained in for the past few summers and owns a home in.
Zacha also was welcomed with a phone call from Patrice Bergeron, so he’s feeling right at home already.
There are still plenty of questions the Bruins need to answer before training camp begins, but Zacha certainly adds some forward depth and speed that they need.
