Bruins Sign David Pastrnak, Acquire Tyler Bertuzzi From Red Wings

by | Mar 2, 2023 | News, NHL, Rumors | 23 comments

It’s been a busy morning for the Boston Bruins.

The biggest news is they re-signed David Pastrnak to an eight-year, $90-million contract extension. The annual average value is $11.25 million with a full no-movement clause in the first five years and a modified no-trade for the final three.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Boom goes that silly illusion that Pastrnak should accept a “hometown discount” of $8 million annually for eight years.

The Bruins had the 26-year-old winger for the past six years on a bargain deal of $6.7 million annually. Over the course of that contract, Pastrnak became an elite scorer, sitting fifth in total goals (223) and winning the Richard Trophy in 2020. He’s currently on pace to become the first Bruin to enjoy a 50-goal season since Cam Neely in 1993-94.

Pastrnak is poised to become the Bruins’ franchise player with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand in the twilight of their careers. Indeed, the case can be made that he already is their franchise player.

The Bruins couldn’t afford to lose Pastrnak. His new cap hit is comparable to what Toronto’s Auston Matthews (another Richard Trophy winner) is earning on his contract. Yes, it’s expensive, but that’s the cost of keeping a superstar.

The Bruins also made another trade, acquiring Tyler Bertuzzi from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a conditional first-round pick in 2024 (top-10 protected) and a fourth-rounder in 2025. The Wings are also retaining half of Bertuzzi’s $4.75 million cap hit for this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This move should provide the Bruins with impressive depth at left wing with Bertuzzi joining Taylor Hall and Brad Marchand for the remainder of the season. However, this deal may have been made due to a lower-body injury suffered by Hall on Monday. That could mean he’ll be sidelined longer than just a few games.

Whatever the motivation for acquiring Bertuzzi, it’s a significant move by Bruins general manager Don Sweeney. It comes a week after bringing in Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway from Washington. When healthy, the 28-year-old Bertuzzi is an agitating winger with a good scoring touch, tallying 30 goals in 68 games last season.

Bertuzzi is the second player traded by the Red Wings in as many days with Filip Hronek getting shipped to Vancouver yesterday. Wings general manager Steve Yzerman might not be done as he’s also reportedly looking at moving Jakub Vrana and Filip Zadina.







23 Comments

  1. I’ve never been able to get a firm opinion on Bertuzzi, so not sure how to rate this deal. He certainly didn’t impress anyone with his limp performances in those back-to-back games in Ottawa. Maybe it was just a reaction to getting vaccinated?

    • Bert had 2 hand surgeries, one on each hand, this fall. You do know little about him.

      • LOL. Johnny Z, There’s roughly 736 players in the friggin’ league – damned if I’m going into detail on all of ’em

      • I wan’t impressed with Bertuzzi “fighting” Zub. I guess he figured that even with weak hands he could beat up on a non-fighter. Pretty lame.

    • Hey Johnny since you’re sounding like you know so much more about him, what else can you tell us? He looks like a Bruin type player but what could one expect, within reason?

    • Wow, Marchand and Bertuzzi on the same team. I haven’t wanted to see a team collapse this badly since Holmstrom played for the Red Wings.

  2. Congratulations to George

    An ultra sensitive Senator fan

    Ray Bark – I think U R an Edmonton Oiler fan ! ?

    2 Fabulous additions to your lineups
    Game changers !

    Ottawa squeak in by a hair line – wild card
    Edmonton to the Stanley cup final

    • Bruin fan who now lives in Edmonton Ken, so I am up to date on what happens to the Oil.
      I root for the Oil unless they play BOS. A BOS/EDM final?!

      Been a B’s fan since I was 4 in 1969.

      • I wish I was 4 in 1969 ….I was starting my Lineman career

      • Not an easy job Joe, especially back in the day.
        Guessing you’ve climbed a few poles?

        We supply Electric Utilities with material and equipment, it’s what we do, so work with the work method guys/lineman sometimes when getting approvals and in some training with them. Good guys as a rule, like their beer them boys.

      • Hi Ray

        I am 5 years older than you .

        I am a Leaf/ Bruins fan , Bobby Orr of course – a fan

        A Bruin -Oil final is very positive , although craving for the Leafs to be there !

        Bertuzzi addition was a must it looks like on account of the injuries to Hall and Foligno

        Sweeney – more than pro – active

  3. Bert good pick up but the concern is what and how bad is Hall injury. He is on ltir. So hopefully back by playoffs. If not actually got a little bit weaker. Foligno on ir. So should be back in due time

    Pasta Bruin for life

    • Boston definitely all in.

      Really don’t like to see the 1st going for a ufa.

      Boston with Marchand, Hathaway and Bertuzzi; should be fun ti play against.

      This is a solid team with cup aspiration.

      If no additional moves, Boston will have depth in the stands come playoffs.

      Stallman, Clifton, Reilly, Zboril on D

      One of Foligno, Nosek sitting, along with Greer and Wagner.

      For a guy who wanted all in, I got it but I would like to see another rugged dman.

      Pastrnak signing, not a popular opinion but he isn’t woth it. He cannot drive a line by himself.

      No he isn’t in Matthews class.

      I like Pastrnak, but I 9.5 where he should be.

      • Caper

        Will have to agree to disagree

        He is worth it he actually took a small discount. Matthews next contract will be 15 mil Pasta drove the 2nd line all last year with a 3rd line checker as his ctr

      • Mrbruin4 all good. If Boston wins the cup. Im not going to care!

        They have the team to do it.

        The one thing I do hope for, is a couple of short series. Can’t have the old boys doing 6 and 7 game series.

  4. The Boston Bruins have placed winger Taylor Hall on long-term injured reserve, giving the team $6 million in LTIR cap space.

    The Bruins also placed forward Nick Foligno on injured reserve and recalled forward Jakub Lauko from AHL Providence.

    The team told reporters there are no timelines for the return of Hall or Foligno.

    • Stated that both will be out until mon start of playoffs

      Hopefully back for playoffs rested and ready

  5. As a Leafs fan, this sucks.
    Good for the B’s though, a great team got even better over the last week.

    The road to the SCF from the East is insanely hard.

    The western champ will be loving life with a bruised and battered foe.

    • As a Leafs fan this does suck. But even before this we weren’t getting by the Bruins anyway. The Bruins deserve to win this year. They have some great players but are no more star studded than any other of the great teams in the League. They play as a team and since hockey is a team sport they deserve the win. This,for them, has been a historic season. When the Leafs face them in the second round I will of course cheer for my Leafs, but make no mistake about it that Boston deserves to win. They have been dominant from the beginning of the season.

      • Second round? I am surprised that you even know that combination or words.

  6. Based on the regular season, Boston absolutely deserves to win the Cup but no one said the playoffs were fair.

  7. Speaking of history, check out Presidents trophy winners in relation to Stanley Cup winners . Not sure the reason but only 8 of last 33.

    FYI Tyler is the nephew it Todd

  8. And now Arizona takes on a bunch of salary? They really didn’t want Zaitsev around did they?