The Boston Bruins have signed star forward David Pastrnak to an eight-year extension worth $90 million.
Pastrnak, who was a pending unrestricted free agent, is having one of the best seasons of his career with 42 goals and 38 assists through 60 games for the league-leading Bruins.
The 26-year-old from Havirov, Czechia, has played his entire nine-year NHL career in Boston so far after the club selected him 25th overall in the 2014 draft.
For the last six seasons, Pastrnak has played at a $6.67-million cap hit, a massive bargain for the Bruins for a player producing well over a point per game during that stretch.
Now, Pastrnak will become the highest-paid Bruin when his extension kicks in next season, eclipsing defenceman Charlie McAvoy’s $9.5-million cap hit.
Pastrnak will also become the NHL’s sixth-highest paid player when his new contract begins.
The extension comes just an hour after the Bruins bolstered their lineup by trading for forward Tyler Bertuzzi from the Detroit Red Wings.
Boston, a Stanley Cup favourite with an impressive 47-8-5 record, has loaded up by adding Dmitry Orlov, Garnet Hathaway and now Bertuzzi to the team ahead of the NHL’s trade deadline.
