Report: David Pastrnak Has Offers On Table From KHL
BOSTON (CBS) -- If David Pastrnak can't agree to a new contract with the Bruins before the start of the NHL season, he at least knows that he can still play overseas.
According to "KHL Insider" Aivis Kalniņš on Twitter, Pastrnak has "multiple offers" on the table from teams in the Kontinental Hockey League, which is headquartered in Russia. Pastrnak's agent J.P. Barry would neither confirm nor deny the report to CSNNE.
The threat of skipping the NHL season to play in Russia is a common negotiating tactic for free agents who are seeking new deals. Pastrnak is reportedly asking the Bruins for the maximum eight-year term with an average annual value in the range of what Leon Draisaitl earned with the Edmonton Oilers. The Bruins, meanwhile, offered the dynamic winger up to seven years with an AAV of $6 million, which is quite far apart from Draisaitl's $8.5 million.
Bruins winger Brad Marchand debunked an emerging theory that Pastrnak's teammates would be upset if the 21-year-old earned more money than them. David Krejci's $7.25 million annual cap hit is currently the highest on the team.
"We all want to see each other be successful," said Marchand at Monday's Bruins Foundation Golf Tournament. "[Pastrnak] had a great year last year so we'll be very happy for him with whatever he ends up getting."
Bruins training camp officially begins on Thursday, but the team has until Dec. 1 to agree to a new deal with Pastrnak before he has to sit out the NHL season. Unlike the B's, it appears that Pastrnak has a plan B if things don't work out.
