The Boston media immediately asked about the contract status of David Pastrnak in Monday’s team presser. The team has been adamant from the start that the organization would be aggressive in coming to an agreement on a new deal. However, talks look like they have now extended into the season. Team President Cam Neely reiterated that the Bruins want to re-sign Pastrnak and Chief Executive Officer Charlie Jacobs knows, “we need to be aggressive in trying to re-up Pastrnak to a new contract.” Neely mentioned that he has made Pastrnak aware that the team “is not stripping it down here,” which means there are no plans for a rebuild.
When asked about General Manager Don Sweeney’s performance, Neely became frustrated and stated, “The narrative is frustrating to me. I’m tired of talking about 2015. If you look at who the Bruins have drafted and how many NHL games they’ve played, it’s among some of the highest in the league. Every GM in the league makes mistakes.” In the 2015 NHL Draft, the Bruins had ten picks, and eight players went on to play at least one game in the league. However, the Bruins selected Zach Senyshyn with the 15th overall pick. Senyshyn played just 14 games with Boston before being traded at the trade deadline last season. The winger is now on the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League, part of the New Jersey Devils system.
Other notable aspects of the presser include the following: Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk will not begin the season on Long Term Injured Reserve, making his return to the ice imminent. Another defenseman, Anton Stralman, brought in on a Professional Tryout Offer (PTO), will have to wait and see a contract from the Bruins contingent upon how the waiver wire shakes out.
And finally, on the status beyond this year regarding centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, Sweeney said that Bergeron is still “year-to-year.” When asked if this is a last run for the two aging centers, Neely said, “I think that’s very fair.”
Now the Bruins will wait for the waiver process to conclude at 2 pm Eastern time today. From there, the Bruins are confident they will be cap compliant in preparation for the 5 pm deadline. The Bruins visit Washington Wednesday night to open the season. Head Coach Jim Montgomery has not named a starter in goal.
