Bruins Have Bigger Plans For Zacha Than A Trade Deadline Move

The Boston Bruins aren't exactly playing a lot better than last season, but they are .500 on the season and Pavel Zacha, a previously thought to be trade candidate, is having a big bounce-back offensively. The 28-year-old, in the third year of a four-year, $4.75 million AAV deal, already has two goals and 12 points in 14 games as the second line center.

Zacha plays the third-most among forwards on the Bruins and logs a lot of minutes on the power play and penalty kill. He is also in his prime, so moving a player before he is even in his UFA year is a stretch, especially when the Bruins are trying to retool to the extent that the Washington Capitals did, as per previous reports.

Pierre LeBrun reported, "The Canucks did indeed reach out to the Bruins in the summer...to see if he was available, but what I'm being told in terms of the Bruins is they view Zacha as a long-term fit. Don't be surprised if they try to extend him."

The Boston is looking to keep Zacha around, but a deal can't officially be signed until July 1, 2026, since he still has another year left on his contract. He will absolutely be getting a raise as he is underpaid for the work he does. Even if he wasn't contributing as much offensively, he is a very good two-way player and plays in all situations.

While the Bruins are getting more from Casey Mittelstadt after he was healthy scratched, it would be tough to find a proper replacement that is better than Zacha around the league, especially with how many teams are searching for a top-6 center this season.

Teams like the Vancouver Canucks are desperate and would likely pay extra to acquire someone like that, but it would put the Bruins in an even worse spot that would take longer to recover from. The fewer years wasted with David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy, the better, and Zacha is playing too good to get rid of this early.