Bruins Star’s $90 Million Contract Suddenly Looks Like Bargain originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Bruins made an enormous financial commitment when they signed David Pastrnak to an eight-year, $90 million contract in 2023. Only three years later, that deal is beginning to look like one of the biggest bargains in the NHL. Pastrnak carries an $11.25 million average annual value through the 2030-31 season. That remains a significant number, but the league’s rapidly rising salary cap and the massive contracts recently awarded to other elite players have changed how his deal is viewed.
Some of the NHL’s biggest stars now command salaries approaching $18 million per season. Pastrnak, meanwhile, remains locked in at a number that reflects the league’s previous financial landscape.
That gives the Bruins something increasingly difficult to find: a legitimate franchise player being paid below the evolving market rate.
David Pastrnak Contract Gives Bruins Major Advantage
Pastrnak did not reach the 40-goal mark during the 2025-26 season, finishing with 29. However, his overall offensive production remained elite. The Bruins winger recorded a career-high 71 assists and finished with 100 points. His ability to transition from primarily being a goal scorer into a more complete offensive creator made his season particularly encouraging.
Pastrnak has reached 100 points in three of the last four seasons. He also has scored at least 40 goals three times during that span, including a career-best 61 during the 2022-23 campaign. Those numbers make him one of the NHL’s premier offensive players. His contract no longer places him among the league’s very highest-paid stars, however, and that gap should only continue to grow.
The salary cap is expected to keep increasing in the coming years. As it does, more players will sign contracts that push the top of the market higher.
Pastrnak’s $11.25 million cap hit will remain unchanged.
That cost certainty could become an enormous advantage for Bruins general manager Don Sweeney. Every dollar Boston saves on its best player can be used to strengthen the roster around him.
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Bruins Have Other Valuable Contracts
Pastrnak is not the only important Bruins player carrying a favorable contract entering the 2026-27 season. Pavel Zacha is scheduled to make $4.75 million in the final season of his four-year contract. He is coming off a career year in which he recorded 30 goals and 65 points, creating the possibility that he could enter the season as Boston’s No. 1 center.
Finding that level of production for less than $5 million is rare. The challenge for Boston will be determining whether it can keep Zacha beyond the upcoming season without losing the value his current deal provides.
Jeremy Swayman’s eight-year, $66 million contract also looks much better following his bounce-back campaign. His $8.25 million annual cap hit trails five NHL goaltenders, even though Swayman finished as a Vezina Trophy finalist and helped return Boston to the playoffs.
Those deals give the Bruins valuable flexibility, but Pastrnak’s contract stands above the rest.
Boston has its most important skater under team control for five more seasons without needing to worry about an extension or a dramatic raise. Pastrnak still must perform at an elite level for the agreement to remain favorable, but nothing about his recent production suggests a major decline is approaching.
The Bruins paid Pastrnak like a superstar in 2023. By the time his contract expires, they may have spent several years paying one of the league’s best players like something considerably less.