http://www.weei.com/blogs/ty-anders...scouraging-update-david-pastrnak-negotiations
In fact, speaking at the Bruins’ Fanfest in Providence on Thursday, Neely said that there hasn’t been much of anything when it’s come to recent discussions with the star sniper.
“There hasn’t been any dialogue,†Neely told the Boston Herald. “Early on there was and then an offer was put out there and there hasn’t really been much back and forth for us to say where we’re going to head and what direction we’re going in. Until we really see what they’re thinking and what they’re looking for, then we can start the dialogue.
“To be honest with you, we haven’t really gotten a response on what they’re looking for,†Neely said of the talks with Pastrnak’s agent, J.P. Barry. “I know when they talked early on, they had some parameters to work around, some comps that I think both sides felt were fair at that particular time, so an offer was made but there really wasn’t much dialogue after that. So I think it’s kind of pointless for us to negotiate against ourselves.â€
It’s believed that the Bruins entered the Pastrnak negotiations with a six-year, $36 million contract offer, which Pastrnak’s camp shot down, and that they have since bumped that offer up to seven years and $42 million. Both deals would come with a $6 million per season cap hit, which appears to be a focus of the Black and Gold.
That would also be substantially less than the eight-year, $68 million contract the Oilers gave to star forward Leon Draisaitl, which comes with an $8.5 million per year tag.
But Neely does not believe that Draisaitl’s contract should move needle across the NHL.
“I know everyone’s talking about the Draisaitl contract, and rightfully so they were waiting to see what was going to happen there, but that’s one player,†Neely said. “If it looks like an abundance of players and the market has shifted, then you should look at it, but if it’s one player that you’re hanging your hat on then I don’t know if that’s a market shift. I don’t know if the market has really shifted as much as people think.â€
Still, like Bruins general manager Don Sweeney, Neely remains confident that there's still time for a deal to get done.
“I feel confident we can get something done," said Neely. "I think David has expressed that he loves it here and wants to play here. We want him here for a long as it makes sense for us.â€
