Cap Comparable: Pastrnak’s new deal puts him among NHL’s elite

With their series of trade deadline transactions, the Boston Bruins have been sending a message to the league that they’re all in. Turns out, they’ve been busily working towards an even bigger deal this week, too — one that solidifies their status as contenders for the foreseeable future.

The team locked up star forward David Pastrnak on Thursday, ending the months-long talks between Boston and their biggest star, who was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Pastrnak’s eight-year, $90-million extension, which is the 10^th largest contract in NHL history in terms of total value, comes into effect on July 1 and will see him remain a Bruin through the 2030-31 season.

The deal carries an annual average value of $11.25 million, which comes in at the sixth-highest cap hit for 2023-24, while his $13 million in actual salary the next two seasons will see him earn the second-highest paycheque among all NHL peers not named Nathan MacKinnon. (When MacKinnon’s massive extension, which he signed in September, kicks in on July 1 he’ll earn a whopping $16.5 million in total salary in each of the next two years.)

This new contract is Pastrnak’s second post-ELC payday, and brings a massive hike in earnings over the six-year pact he signed in September 2017 — a deal that’s been considered one of the league’s biggest bargains for much of that time, counting for $6.67 million against the cap. He’ll now count for almost twice that.

Pastrnak’s new deal comes amidst what is looking like a career year for the winger. The 26-year-old is just six goals shy of his personal best tally from 2019-20 (48) and with 80 points through 60 games this season, he’s already tied his third-highest full-season total.

Taking into account cap hit, total value, signing age and position, here’s a trio of the most closely-comparable contracts to Pastrnak’s new pact, with a big assist from the fine folks at CapFriendly.

Jonathan Huberdeau, Calgary Flames

Contract: Eight years, $84 million | $10.5M cap hit

Signing date: 29 (Aug. 4, 2022)

Upon arriving in Calgary as part of the blockbuster deal that saw Matthew Tkachuk head south to Florida, Huberdeau wasted no time securing his next contract — and, of course, avoiding a year-long will-he-stay-or-will-he-go conversation in Calgary. Like Pastrnak, Huberdeau’s new pact will see his earnings nearly double from this year ($5.9-million AAV) to next ($10.5M).

Though Huberdeau got off to a slow start with the Flames – he’s well off-pace of his usual production with 40 points through 58 games — his value at the time of his signing had never been higher. Fresh off a 115-point season with the Panthers as the club’s leading scorer three years running when he inked his new contract in Calgary, Huberdeau’s got plenty of time to settle in with the Flames and get back to his old ways.

Johnny Gaudreau, Columbus Blue Jackets

Contract: Seven years, $68.25 million | $9.75M cap hit

Signing age: 28 (July 13, 2022)

Like Huberdeau, his replacement in Calgary (and unlike Pastrnak) Gaudreau’s biggest payday came from a new-to-him team. Like both Huberdeau and Pastrnak, the lucrative contract came at a time when his value had never been higher.

Pastrnak is in the midst of a career year, much like Huberdeau and Gaudreau experienced last season. But Gaudreau’s new deal isn’t looking great at the moment: In 59 games so far this season with the struggling Blue Jackets, Gaudreau has a career-low 15 goals while his 54 points through 59 games has him on pace to cut last season’s total (115) almost in half.

Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks

Contract: Eight years, $84 million | $10.5M cap hit

Signing age: 26 (July 9, 2014)

The newest member of the New York Rangers helped set a new standard for AAVs when he and teammate Jonathan Toews signed matching eight-year, 84-million pacts with the Blackhawks in July 2014. At the time of signing, each contract accounted for 15.22 per cent of the Blackhawks’ cap space. While technically, all three of Kane and Toews’ Stanley Cups in Chicago were won on preview deals, the fact these contracts were signed the summer before the duo propelled Chicago to its third Stanley Cup — a reward for a reward — and came into effect as their summer of celebrations continued, is an interesting note… especially considering where Pastrnak’s Bruins are currently positioned in the Cup-favourite conversation. One year after that, in 2015-16, Kane cleaned up at the NHL Awards with the Art Ross, Ted Lindsay, and Hart Memorial Trophy.

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