Boston Bruins
“I thought I’d just play it out and see what would happen. That’s where my head’s at.”
Pavel Zacha is entering the final year of his contract. John Tlumacki/Boston Globe
September 17, 2026 | 4:09 PM
4 minutes to read
Pavel Zacha has revitalized his career since arriving in Boston, with the former top-10 draft pick going from an underwhelming prospect with the Devils to a top-six fixture with the Bruins.
Boston has made out well since acquiring Zacha in a one-for-one swap for Erik Haula. The Czech-born forward is serving as a valuable Swiss Army Knife in Boston’s forward corps — reaching his potential as a legitimate top-six pivot.
Over his four seasons with the Bruins, the 29-year-old forward has averaged 21 goals and 55 points per year, culminating in a career-high 30 goals and 65 points in 2025-26.
Given his familiarity with Boston and the success he’s found with the Original Six franchise, Zacha is hoping that his tenure with the Bruins extends beyond his current contract, which expires at the end of the upcoming 2026-27 season.
But so far, Zacha’s camp and the Bruins have yet to bridge the gap on a new contract — with a rising salary-cap ceiling and shifting market likely complicating matters for Don Sweeney and Co.
Speaking on Wednesday, Sweeney acknowledged that the Bruins remain interested in working out an extension with Zacha — even though the team can no longer offer him an eight-year contract now that the league’s CBA rolled over on Tuesday.
“Ongoing communication with Pav’s representative. Good dialogue, have not found a landing spot,” Sweeney said at TD Garden. “But we know the importance of Pav to our hockey club. We would like to have him be able to come back, so we’ll continue to talk between now and if we do find a deal.
“But Pav’s a big part of what we’re trying to accomplish as an organization. Every player has its timeline for a deal, and hopefully we get to a landing spot.”
Following Boston’s first training-camp practice on Thursday at Warrior Ice Arena, Zacha echoed a similar thought as Sweeney in terms of keeping contract talks ongoing.
“We’ve been talking a lot lately. My agent’s been dealing with that. Don knows where we stand,” Zacha said. “I’m just excited to be in training camp with the guys.
“I can smile, play hockey and play on a team I like to play on. That’s what it is. It’s out of my control a little bit but I think I’m just excited to start training camp and get after it after four months of just working out.”
Pavel Zacha on the lack of a contract extension with Boston to this point:
“We’ve been talking lately. My agent’s been dealing with that. Don knows where we stand. … It’s out of my control a little bit.” pic.twitter.com/7ntOXotuwD
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) September 17, 2026
Even if both the Bruins and Zacha are interested in a long-term deal, that may not be as feasible as Boston initially expected — largely because of a shifting fiscal landscape across the NHL.
The going rate for just about every player in the league has surged this summer, with even younger players like Fraser Minten ($7.2 million annual cap hit) and Ryan Leonard ($10.5 million annual cap hit) getting paid premium bucks off their entry-level deals to fall in line with a growing cap ceiling.
Zacha has long been one of the better bargain deals in the NHL after accounting for just a $4.75 million cap hit since the start of the 2023-24 season. But once this year wraps, Zacha could easily command between $9-11 million per year on the open market, especially if he validates his standing as a legitimate top-six center with 30-goal capabilities.
The Bruins may like Zacha, but potentially not at that price, especially if they both like what they have with a younger crop of centers like Minten, James Hagens and Dean Letourneau — while also hindered by Elias Lindholm’s contract ($7.75 million annual cap hit through 2030-31).
“There’s market reaction across the league in terms of what you may want to do with your younger players versus your older players versus the guys in between,” Sweeney said of the changing dynamics with contracts across the league. “At some point in time, there could be a squeeze.
“But credit to the players and the league, the cap has gone up and now the reactions are coming from each of the clubs. A lot of discussion has gone on as a result of it, and you just have to hammer away at the decision you have to make in the best interests of your hockey club.”
If the Bruins have any hesitancy with Zacha’s next contract — or Zacha isn’t willing to perhaps take lesser money to remain in Boston — things could get complicated.
Boston can ill afford to let Zacha walk for nothing next summer, so a trade could be an option if the Bruins don’t want to meet his asking price.
Moving a top-six center in his prime could net a strong return for a retooling Boston team. Still, it could hurt this current roster if the 2026-27 Bruins are in a playoff spot and exceed expectations this winter and early spring.
There are plenty of factors at play when it comes to the Bruins, Zacha, and what the best move is for all parties over the next few months.
For Zacha, entering the season with uncertainty over his contract is something that he’s choosing not to dwell on.
“I think it’ll be easy. I’m still signed for another year,” Zacha said. “There’s been some talks, like I said. Before the summer, I didn’t think there’d be talks. I thought I’d just play it out and see what would happen.
“That’s where my head’s at. I just want to work hard and I’m going to get another chance to prove myself in another season and go from there.”
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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