Rask: Patience key to Pasta pact
MIDDLETON — It was a day for a midsummer hockey fix at Shawn Thornton’s annual charity golf tournament yesterday, and the inability of the Bruins to reach a deal thus far with restricted free agent winger David Pastrnak was a hot topic.
Pastrnak remains unsigned with camp just about a month away, but B’s goaltender Tuukka Rask is confident a deal will get done.
“I’m sure they can get this worked out,” said Rask. “That’s the game nowadays: These young guys, when they come out of their first contract, they’ve had great success and they want to get paid. That’s just the world we live in. I guess sometimes with the cap situations, it can put teams in a tough spot. But I’m sure they can figure it out.
“He’s proven he can be top goal scorer in the league and he wants to get paid. You can understand both sides of it. I have no idea what he’s asking, what the situation is. But I’m sure they’re going to find a solution at some point.”
The B’s have experience in this situation. Two years ago, they dealt defenseman Dougie Hamilton when he was about to enter restricted free agency.
Two weeks ago, general manager Don Sweeney said talks with Pastrnak were in a “holding pattern.”
“He wants to play, obviously,” Rask said, “but he doesn’t want to sign a deal that he’s not happy with. As a player you have to be a little selfish. It’s a short career and you want to get paid when you have the chance.”
Rask had groin surgery in early May, and said he is doing very well in off-ice workouts recovery both in Boston and in Finland.
“It’s been 12 weeks, 13; it feels normal,” said Rask. “I haven’t skated yet. I didn’t have my gear in Finland. I was looking forward to start to skate (yesterday), but I guess they took the ice out at Warrior (Ice Arena). So I’ll push it back to next week. It’s not a whole lot different from my usual summer routine.”
Thornton’s Putts & Punches for Parkinson’s Golf Tournament was the place to be yesterday for local hockey people.
Featured participants included Rask and past-or-present Bruins like Torey Krug, Jimmy Hayes, Andy Brickley, Bob Beers and Reggie Lemelin, along with fellow NHL players Jack Eichel, Keith Yandle and Jimmy Vesey (a brand new golfer) and actor/ Bruins fan Kevin Chapman and ex-NHL star Scott Young, newly named director of development for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“This is our seventh year,” said Thornton. “Obviously it’s important for me, because I started it in memory of my grandmother when she passed many years ago.
“I love doing this event. This is one of the more important days of the year for me. I’m glad that everyone keeps coming back and it keeps growing every year — even though I’ve been gone for three years. I hope that means that people are having a good time.”
Thornton played his final NHL campaign with Florida last season, having played 810 games with four teams — and seven seasons with the B’s. He is beginning a new career as Panthers vice president of business operations. But he still has a home in Boston and a fondness for the city.
“It still feels like home whenever I’m here . ... Boston always has held and always will hold a special place in my heart,” Thornton said.
Krug, enjoying his healthiest offseason in a few years, is excited to get to camp.
“Some of the internal competition we have will sort of push things forward in training camp,” said the defenseman. “I don’t want to speak for Sweens or (team president) Cam (Neely), but you have to stick to your guns when you start with a (rebuilding) process like we have. We’re in it now. The exciting part of that we still have the pieces to contend and be a championship team — as long as all these young players develop and grow.”
• • • NESN named Flyers in-arena hostess Alex Kraemer as its new Bruins rinkside reporter, replacing the enormously respected and liked Sarah Davis, who has returned to Canada to start a family.