Pastrnak reacts to finalizing massive extension with Bruins originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
David Pastrnak is happy he'll get to call Boston home for at least another eight years.
On Thursday, the Bruins' star winger finalized a massive contract extension with an $ 11.25 million annual cap hit ($ 90 million total) that will keep him in Black and Gold through 2031. It's the largest contract in franchise history.
Bruins trades give them the toughness, tenacity needed for the 2023 playoffs
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.
During his press conference, Pastrnak expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to continue his career with the team he got his start with back in 2014.
"These are the guys I grew up with, pretty much, my NHL career. And I've been learning from them every day," he said. "It's an amazing accomplishment to play your career on one team and that's definitely what was stuck in my head going into this negotiation. So I'm honored and happy that I'm staying here and I can't wait to get to work."
Local
In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area.
The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa suggested last week that Pastrnak might need reassurance about the future of the organization with veterans Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, and Brad Marchand on the tail ends of their careers. However, he insisted that was not the case.
“Not at all. I’m a player. That’s none of my business," Pastrnak said, per Boston.com's Conor Ryan. "I trust (Bruins general manger Don Sweeney).”
Sweeney has been among the most active GMs in the league over the last couple of weeks. He acquired defenseman Dmitry Orlov and winger Garnet Hathaway in as blockbuster deal with the Washington Capitals, traded for Detroit Red Wings winger Tyler Bertuzzi, and topped those moves off by locking up his best player for the next eight years. If Pastrnak did need any assurance that the Bruins were focused on staying competitive, these days leading up to the NHL trade deadline likely have earned his trust.
Pastrnak has established himself as one of the most skilled offensive players in the NHL. The 26-year-old has tallied 584 points (282 goals, 302 assists) over the course of his nine-year career. He currently has a team-high 42 goals through 60 games and ranks fourth in the NHL in scoring with 80 points.
Now that the Pastrnak saga has reached its conclusion, the Bruins can focus on finishing their stellar 2022-23 season strong. They enter Thursday night with a league-best 47-8-5 record that puts them on pace for the best regular-season record in NHL history.
