On this first day of training camp with the Boston Bruins, the contract situation of forward David Pastrnak caught the eye on Wednesday.
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The 26-year-old sniper will sign a six-year, $40 million deal this season and could become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
General manager Don Sweeney wants to avoid this scenario at all costs, it seems.
“Our goal is to get him to sign a new contract and make him a Bruin for life,” he said at a press conference.
“We are having conversations and I intend to continue to have discussions. In an ideal world, I would like us to come to an agreement as soon as possible.
Last Friday, Pastrnak indicated that he had essentially the same objective as his GM.
“This city gave me the chance to become the player that I am, the human that I am, he said in particular. The Boston organization played a big role for me. I was a boy when I arrived and now I’m a man. So that makes me very happy. […] It’s an honor to wear this jersey.”
Last year, the Czech native scored 40 times and provided 37 assists for 77 points in 72 games. It was the second time in his career that he scored at least 40 goals in a single season, he who also broke the 30-goal mark five times.