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Bruins Don't Appear Close To Actually Trading David Pastrnak

BOSTON (CBS) -- An NHL Network analyst speculated that the Bruins may be trading David Pastrnak, and the local beat lost its mind.

Mere minutes after the NHL Network's Brian Lawton tweeted that he wouldn't be surprised if the Bruins ended up trading Pastrnak amid contract issues, several local writers who routinely cover the team had their own ways of firing back.

CSNNE's Joe Haggerty, in particular, said he buys into Lawton's sources - but only as posturing from Pastrnak's camp. Haggerty wholly dismissed the idea that the Bruins would actually trade Pastrnak, reporting that "by all accounts the Bruins have no appetite" to trade their 21-year-old star.

Others didn't even bother taking the time to dismiss the rumor with entire articles, instead engaging in a bit of Twitter snark over the "BS" trade rumor.

A number of factors have complicated contract talks between the Bruins and Pastrnak. Recent market-setting deals for young stars like the Oilers' Connor McDavid may have led Pastrnak to ask for more than the Bruins were offering, which could be leaving the two sides further apart than previously expected.

Most importantly, it would be virtually impossible for the Bruins to get back commensurate value if they trade Pastrnak, who scored 34 goals and 70 points as a 20-year-old in 2016-17. The likelihood remains that they ultimately agree on a deal, even if it's a short-term "bridge deal" - but a trade still appears highly unlikely.

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