Shame on David Pastrnak if he spurns Bruins nowBy Stephen Harris 
Herald File PhotoIf David Pastrnak is serious about playing this season in the KHL, shame on him.
Speculation has surfaced in recent days that the Bruins’ restricted free agent, unsigned and seemingly far apart from management on a new contract with training camp opening today, may ditch the team and go play in the Kontinental Hockey League in Eastern Europe and Asia.
For Bruins fans, teammates and management, what an astonishing betrayal that would be.
At the age of 21, with three seasons and 172 games on his NHL resume (plus six postseason games), Pastrnak has earned the respect of his team and the affection of fans, who see a kid with not just tons of skill, but also a lovable personality and infectious enthusiasm for the game.
So now, what, it’s only about money for Pastrnak?Latvian scout/agent Aivis Kalnins launched the current speculation with his tweet Monday that said, “Rumblings have indicated that Pastrnak could play in the KHL this season. Has multiple offers.”
Allow us to be crystal clear up front: The Bruins have made Pastrnak an extremely fair, even generous, contract offer. They’re believed to be ready to hand him a deal for
six or seven years, at $6 million per year.
The team used
Nashville forward Filip Forsberg as its main “comparable” for Pastrnak. In June, the 23-year-old Forsberg inked a new six-year deal, paying $6 million per year. This came after Forsberg, in three full NHL seasons,
scored 26, 33 and 31 goals.
In his three seasons,
Pastrnak has produced 10, 15 and 34 goals.
Forsberg has had three good years; Pastrnak has had one.
A worthy argument can be made that Pastrnak doesn’t even deserve the same money that Forsberg got; he hasn’t proven as much as the Predators’ winger.
Yet Pastrnak’s idea of the proper comparable restricted free agent is Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl, who last month was handed an astonishing bonanza by Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli:
Eight years at $8.5 million per year.
Draisaitl, take note, also has played three NHL seasons. One was poor (2-7—9 in 37 games in 2014-15), one was pretty good (19-32—51 in 72 games in ’15-16) and one was very good (29-48—77 in 82 games last year.)
Chiarelli was willing to grossly overpay Draisaitl. That’s his problem. But
it can’t mean that grotesque number is now the standard for every talented kid just past his teen years and his entry-level contract, and still in the process of establishing as the kind of NHL player he’s going to be.
These crazy “second contracts” are throwing NHL salary structures all out of whack. As an restricted free agent with no salary arbitration rights, Pastrnak is actually required only to receive 105 percent of last year’s salary — or some $971,000.
Once upon a time in the NHL, GMs actually started their negotiations with restricted free agents at that minimal requisite number.
“It used to be guys hoped to get $50,000 more,” said Bruins president Cam Neely last weekend in Buffalo. “Now they want $500,000.”
You’re way, way off, Cam: It’s not $500,000; it’s $5 million, which would be the raise Pastrnak would get under the B’s offer. But that hasn’t been enough to get a deal done.
Here’s hoping the Bruins are prepared to let Pastrnak swing in the breeze if he fails to show up to Warrior Ice Arena for the start of training camp today. The young man should keep in mind that the club has several young forwards waiting in the wings to fill job openings — even spots on the No. 1 or No. 2 lines.
Obviously
the B’s could ill afford to lose Pastrnak, but if he is truly prepared to quit on his teammates to seek a somewhat bigger payoff in Russia, what is the club supposed to say: “Oh, yes, David, you’ve had one very good NHL season, so please let us pay you $8.5 million-a-year. You totally deserve to be paid far more than Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Brad Marchand, Tuukka Rask or Zdeno Chara.”
During the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France, unsigned Bruins draft pick Joey Juneau, a top prospect, told a Boston reporter he’d gotten an offer from a Swiss team and was considering spurning the B’s and going to play in Switzerland.
Advised by the reporter of what Juneau had said, Bruins general manager Harry Sinden famously said, “Tell him to start practicing his yodeling.”
Well,
Sweeney ought to tell Pastrnak to start getting used to the taste of borscht.
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