Bruins lock down Pastrnak in 8-year, $90m deal through 2031 – Boston News, Weather, Sports

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Bruins were already on their way to the best record in NHL history when they added harshness and depth for what was hoped to be a long playoff run.

Now General Manager Don Sweeney has also helped secure the team’s future.

The Bruins signed all-star forward David Pastrnak to an eight-year contract extension Thursday that will net him $90 million — the sixth-richest deal in NHL history. The deal bans one of the league’s MVP candidates for the 2030-31 season for $11.25 million per season.

The 26-year-old Pastrnak is second in the league this season with 42 goals, added 38 assists and led Boston to the best record in the NHL. He has spent all of his nine NHL seasons with the Bruins, averaging 282 goals and 302 assists throughout his career.

He was eligible to become a free agent after that season.

The Bruins too added forward Tyler Bertuzzi on Thursday in a deal that will send a top-10 protected first-round pick to Detroit in 2024 and a fourth-rounder in 2025. (The Red Wings are keeping half of Bertuzzi’s salary for the remainder of the season.) Sweeney took over from Washington last week from defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway.

Bertuzzi, 28, is helping to fill a void left by Taylor Hall’s injury. The 2010 No. 1 overall winner, who has 16 goals and 20 assists this season, was placed on long-term injured reserve on Thursday, a move that costs the team one of its best forwards but $6 million against the salary cap saves.

Bertuzzi has 14 points in 29 games with the Red Wings this season. He has 88 goals and 114 assists in 305 regular-season games. He has yet to make the playoffs in the NHL. Forward Nick Foligno has been placed on injured reserve. He has 10 goals and 16 assists this season.

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