Salary Cap Projections Update For Next Season Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk2MjQ5MjczMzI1NTkzOTA0/usatsi_20114501.jpg] Looks like it'll be pasta for dinner in Boston for the next eight years. The Boston Bruins took care of arguably their most pressing piece of business on Thursday, agreeing to terms with superstar forward David Pastrnak on a massive eight-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $11.25 million. The deal now ties Pastrnak to Boston through the 2031-32 season and ensures that the talented sniper will spend what is sure to be the remainder of his prime in the Bruins organization. Funnily enough, Pastrnak is so good, and this contract is so in line with what he should be earning as one of the NHL's top offensive players, that there's almost nothing to talk about. Pastrnak is a near-generational talent, a winger with perennial 50-to-60-goal upside who has only just entered his prime and projects to remain elite throughout the entirety of his new deal. In just 60 games this season, the 26-year-old has already reached the 40-goal mark with 42 tallies and added 38 assists for a whopping 80 points, all while logging nearly 20 minutes in average ice time. Be it at even strength or on the power play, Pastrnak can make opponents pay better than nearly the entirety of his peers and could perhaps even take over the Bruins' captaincy in the event Patrice Bergeron retires in the coming years. With a ton of money now on the books for next season and a number of free agents still in need of new deals, the Bruins will be in tight this summer as they navigate the slow-rising cap. But having Pastrnak locked in for the better part of the next decade at a comparatively fair price is tidy business, no matter how you slice it.
