Bruins sign Pavel Zacha to four-year, $19 million contract extension

The Bruins solidified their depth down the middle on Saturday night, with the team signing forward Pavel Zacha to a four-year contract extension through the 2026-27 season.

Zacha, who initially signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract with Boston back in August, will account for a $4.75 million annual cap hit on his new deal.

“I think we made it pretty clear when we first had the opportunity to bring Pavel on board that we thought highly of him,” Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said of contract talks with Zacha and his representatives. “We were hopeful that he’d be a part of our future. … With the situation, we found common ground pretty quickly on a one-year deal, and then it sort of allowed us to explore at the right time.

“As you all know, every deal kind of has its own cadence and timeline, and we’re fortunate to come to a fairly quick agreement and be happy. Certainly happy to have him be a part of our organization, not just this year, but moving forward.” 

The Bruins traded for Zacha in a deal with the Devils in July, relinquishing veteran center Erik Haula in a one-for-one swap.

Haula was a surprising top-six contributor for Boston during the 2021-22 season. But Zacha’s age (25), untapped potential, and versatility made him an appealing target for Boston organization searching for an adaptable forward in the middle-six grouping.

In his first year with Boston, Zacha has scored five goals and posted 25 points over 42 games. The Brno, Czech Republic, native currently leads the Bruins in assists at 5v5 play (17), and is on pace to surpass the 40-point threshold for the first time in his seven-year NHL career.

Zacha’s growth in the offensive zone has been a welcome development for a Bruins team banking on the benefits of a change of scenery for their latest trade pick-up. But beyond the baseline numbers, Zacha is a flexible tool in coach Jim Montgomery’s lineup.

A natural center, Zacha has slotted in for David Krejci at the second-line center position when the veteran pivot has missed time due to injury.

But on Saturday night against the Maple Leafs, Montgomery utilized Zacha more in a defensive role next to Charlie Coyle and Trent Frederic.

“How I can use him in so many different ways. Left wing, right wing, center. And it doesn’t matter,” Montgomery said of Zacha’s value to the roster. “Tonight, I used him with Coyle and Frederic in a shutdown role where I wanted them to match up against [Auston] Matthews tonight for the majority of the game.

“I’m asking him to maybe sacrifice, but he’s fine. Like whatever we ask him, he’s going to do if it’s going to help the team. And then the other thing is just how smart a hockey player he is, offensively and defensively.”

Zacha’s ability to play down the middle gives Boston a contingency plan in the years ahead, especially with both Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci’s futures uncertain. But for this season, Zacha is focused on serving as a dependable depth option for a team that sits atop the NHL standings with a 33-5-4 record.

“When I got the news that I’m going to be traded here in the summer, I was hoping that I was going to show my stuff and [I’ll] be able to be here for a long time,” Zacha said Saturday night. “And I’m happy that it happened. It’s a start. It’s my first season, and have to prove myself and show why I’m here and why I’m going to be here for a longer time, and it’s just super exciting for me to be a part of this.”

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