After a monstrous season that saw him amass 34 goals and 70 points in 75 games for the Boston Bruins, 21-year-old David Pastrnak is undoubtedly the club’s top free-agent priority this summer. However, with the off-season about to stretch into August, the restricted free agent remains without a contract for 2017-18.
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney gave an update on the status of negotiations with his young Czech star on Monday, saying the process hasn’t progressed much at all.
“We’re in a holding pattern,” Sweeney told the media at a press conference, according to Ty Anderson of local radio station WEEI.”I haven’t made much progress as I would have liked. But we have plenty of time and the opportunity to continue to talk and we will find a landing spot.”
The two sides have reportedly traded offers, according to Kevin Paul Dupont of The Boston Globe, who added that Pastrnak and his agent are likely seeking a long-term deal sitting somewhere in the $6 million-per-year range.
Boston has a little more than $10 million in cap space to work with, according to CapFriendly, with no other free agents in need of new contracts for the coming season.
The club recently handed out a one-year, $2.825-million deal to restricted free agent, Ryan Spooner, avoiding a scheduled arbitration hearing with the forward.
However, as Pastrnak does not have arbitration rights, the young sniper does not have the option of forcing his club’s hand with that strategy, and must instead wait for Sweeney and agent J.P. Barry to find common ground.
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