Boston Bruins fans had a sneaky suspicion something was up Thursday morning, even before the team announced David Pastrnak signed an eight-year contract extension.
That's because the Bruins dropped a simple yet electric tweet that, in hindsight, clearly was an indication of the ensuing news.
The Bruins tweeted the following Pastrnak GIF at 10:06 a.m. ET:
The club then sent out a press release announcing Pastrnak's new deal roughly 10 minutes later.
Well played.
Pastrnak's extension runs through the 2030-31 season and carries an annual NHL cap hit of $11.25 million. The 26-year-old had been slated to become a free agent this offseason.
It's obviously been an impressive season thus far for the NHL-leading Bruins, and Pastrnak has been at the heart of Boston's dominance, registering 42 goals and 38 assists for 80 points in 60 games. Pastrnak, fresh off an All-Star appearance, now has three 40-goal seasons on his NHL résumé, including a career-high 48 during the 2019-20 campaign.
Pastrnak, selected in the first round (25th overall) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, has spent his entire nine-year career with Boston, and it's official as of Thursday: He'll be sticking around for the foreseeable future, much to the delight of Bruins fans everywhere.
