By: Jake Ferraro | Follow me on Twitter/X @18Jxxx18
The Boston Bruins won 3-0 against the New York Rangers at TD Garden to open the 2026-27 National Hockey League season three nights ago. Tonight at 8 p.m. ET, the Bruins begin their first back-to-back of the season against the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre. Even in the first week of the new NHL season, what will happen with Bruins forward Pavel Zacha remains a question. Zacha, 29, will be an unrestricted free agent after this season, and talks about whether he will re-sign in Boston are ongoing.
On Sept. 17, Zacha said that he and the Bruins were talking about a new contract. However, yesterday, TSN analyst Chris Johnston discussed Zacha being a free agent. Johnston’s newest comments about Zacha being a free agent weren’t promising for Bruins fans hoping to see him return to Beantown.
“I think in a perfect world, sure, the Bruins would love to have him signed to a new deal,” Johnston said. “There have been some discussions about that, but getting to the right number has proven to be a challenge, and it’s a challenge, quite frankly; teams and agents and players are wrestling around the league.”
The hard reality is that since the NHL’s salary cap has gone up, players have signed new contracts with a much higher AAV, and Johnston also mentioned the increase in AAVs. The newest example is Toronto Maple Leafs forward Kirill Marchenko’s new six-year contract, which he just signed; his AAV is $12.5 million. Marchenko’s AAV is $1.25 million more than Bruins forward David Pastrnak, who has an $11.25 million AAV. Marchenko hasn’t recorded a single 75-point season in his career, while Pastrnak has recorded three 100-point seasons over the past three seasons. That is the challenge the Bruins will be facing with Zacha.
Zacha enters this season at an AAV of $4.75 million. Given how last season went, Zacha is due a massive new contract. Zacha’s 30 goals and 65 points each set a career high. Zacha’s late-season play ultimately helped the Bruins reach the 2026 playoffs. Zacha was the only other 30-goal scorer on the Bruins roster besides Morgan Geekie, and his 65 points were the third-most on the team’s roster.
Whether Zacha can play like that consistently and is worth paying highly is up for debate. With the latest contract raises, Zacha could realistically get around a $10 million AAV, and even surpass Pastrnak’s AAV. Paying Zacha that much is a huge question for general manager Don Sweeney, considering last season was the first 30-goal and 60-point season of his now 12-year NHL career.
“If Zacha isn’t signed at some point during the season, he could very well find himself on the trade board, on a trade bait list,” Johnston said.
The hard reality is that Zacha could land on the trade block if the Bruins don’t sign him during the season. Bleacher Report’s Lyle Richardson named six potential teams that Zacha could be traded to. On Sept. 17, Zacha said he and the Bruins were talking about a new contract and that his agent is getting involved. If the Bruins are out of playoff contention by the trade deadline, they can get good value in return for Zacha when there’s no guarantee he will be back.
This season will be a roller coaster for Zacha regarding his future in Boston. If Zacha plays well like he did last season, the Bruins may want to re-sign him sooner so his value doesn’t rise. However, it’s also possible this season is a struggle for the Bruins and they sell at the trade deadline, and that is where Zacha could be sold if he still hasn’t been extended by then.
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