Another helping of Pasta?
B's star is optimistic a deal will get done
The time to exhale might not be upon Bruins’ fans just yet, but David Pastrnak expressed both a desire to return and an optimism that an extension will get done.
Pastrnak, entering the final year of his contract, did not really provide a progress report on the contract negotiations his agent J.P. Barry and GM Don Sweeney have had, but he expressed the same joy and love for the city of Boston and the Bruins’ organization that he’s always espoused.
“Obviously we love it here. This is our home. This is where I became a man. I’ve spent unbelievable years with (girlfriend) Rebecca and we are really happy here,” said Pastrnak on Friday, his first day back for a captain’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena. “But my focus moving forward is to be ready game one. Obviously, we’re going to be missing some key players and I know I have to be on my game from the get-go. That’s my biggest focus.”
The deal, should it come to fruition, is undoubtedly going to be a mammoth one, most likely matching or topping Charlie McAvoy’s max eight-year deal that has an average annual value of $9.5 million. Pastrnak could be the B’s first $10 million man, and he’d be worth it. He’s a threat to score 50 goals every year. Even when he had an upand-down season last year, he hit 40. But until it gets done, there will remain the nagging question of “why not?”
Pastrnak didn’t discuss any numbers or anything else about a potential deal, but he is optimistic that it will get done, however it may be structured.
“Of course,” said Pastrnak. “Like I said, this city’s where I got the chance to become the player I am and the human being I am. And the Boston organization is an unbelievable part of it. I came here as a kid and now I’m a man. I’m extremely happy and I have a lot of great memories. I’ve said many times that I love it here and it’s an honor to wear this jersey.”
While some folks may be understandably antsy until a contract is done, Pastrnak said he’d have no problem if the negotiations went into the season.
“To me personally, I still have the whole season to figure things out with Sweens and there have been a couple of changes,” he said. “We’ve got a new coach and a lot of guys are excited to get back to work, so these things take time.
I’m focusing to be ready to help this team win, especially at the beginning of the season. It’s going to be extremely tough on us. We’re going to be missing a couple of our best players.”
The Black and Gold landscape is shifting. There is a new coach in Jim Montgomery. And it’s quite possible that David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron will be playing in their final seasons.
But when asked if he’s taking a wait-and-see approach before he commits contractually, Pastrnak said he’s just skating his lane.
“It’s not really my job to look at what the team’s going to be in two or three years,” said Pastrnak. “I’m a player and I just try my best to help the team win. I’m here to do my job and that’s what I’m aiming at and thinking about and focusing on.”
Saying that he’s just focused on his own job may be something of an avoidance of the question, but it is a big part of his mindset right now. Two summers ago, he underwent hip surgery and missed a good chunk of his offseason training. Last summer, he and Rebecca suffered through the unspeakable tragedy when their newborn son, Viggo Rohl, died just six days after being born.
Some time and good health have helped him prepare for this season and he’s looking forward to it.
“I haven’t had a normal summer in a couple of years so my biggest thing was to get prepared for the season, physically-wise and mentally-wise,” said Pastrnak. “It hasn’t been easy and the motivation this year was through the roof compared to the last couple of years when I had the hip surgery and even last year was tough. Finally this summer I was able to work really hard and focus on my game. That was my main focus. That’s why we have agents, to worry about this stuff and let the player stay focused.”
Much has been made about Pastrnak’s recruitment of Krejci to return ( “A couple apples at the worlds, a couple of empty-netters, I let him win in cards and we grabbed a couple of beers in Czech and he’s back,” joked Pastrnak) but the right wing credited the veteran center with re-igniting his own love for the game.
“I must say it’s been a highlight of my last season, to be honest, the joy he brought back to me to play hockey again at the World Championship, it’s what I was kind of looking for when I went there this year and it happened,” said Pastrnak. “We’re obviously close friends and I’m happy that he came back and we have another player with this experience with him and Bergy and (Brad Marchand). There are some new players and younger players and we can learn a lot from those three guys every day. It’s so fun to have him back.”
After Bruce Cassidy was fired, Pastrnak has touched base a little bit with Montgomery but is looking forward to building a new relationship.
“I was a little surprised, obviously. Butchy and I, we were great. I liked him and he was a great coach,” said Pastrnak. “Obviously, he had his way and we all went through it. It’s time to move on. It’s hockey. It’s business. He had no problem finding a job and we are here in our situation with a new coach. I can’t wait to work with him and know him as a person and as a coach. Hear only good things about him.”