Confirmed Signing with Link: [BOS] F Pavel Zacha signs extension with the Bruins (4 years, $4.75M AAV)

[Guttersniped]

Could be one of those john leclair steal type of deals. I remember the flyers fleeced the habs on that one.

If Zacha has multiple 50 goal seasons then I will be the first to say that Devils fans definitely did underrate Zacha.

 

[The don godfather]

If Zacha has multiple 50 goal seasons then I will be the first to say that Devils fans definitely did underrate Zacha.

Regardless he doesnt hit 50 the deal looks like a clear win for the Bruins hands down

 

[CheerstoBeers]

I don't think there is a single Devil fan that is questioning his play/ability, it's his consistency and intensity that ebbs and flows.

We have actually seen him look like an All-Star for a week or so only to disappear for a month.

In fact I think you and Bruin fans are actually seeing the inconsistencies and you don't even know it yet ...I have seen many Bruin fans comment on improving his shot...truth is, he has a fantastic shot but you just don't see it often. You are going to see a couple of games where Zacha unleashes a laser beam then you won't see it again for another month or maybe more...it how it's been forever...he doesn't need to improve his shot he needs to improve his intensity and approach to the game.

I rooted for him his entire time in NJ and I still wish him well but I'm not sure he'll ever get his head in the right place to realize his potential...I honestly hope he does.

All that said I think 4 years 4.75 is just fine for what Pavel brings to the table.

He's been consistent all season for the Bruins though. It's not here one week gone the next like your describing. I don't know if it's the change of scenery but he's out there giving 100% every shift and I've been pleasently surprised with his defensive game. If this is his inconsistencies then I'll take it because he's fit right in with this team and it's been smooth sailing thus far. 40+ games seems like a good sample size to judge his game for Bruins fans and this contract has been well earned in a B's jersey .

 

[Guttersniped]

Regardless he doesnt hit 50 the deal looks like a clear win for the Bruins hands down

Ok

 

[wintersej]

Regardless he doesnt hit 50 the deal looks like a clear win for the Bruins hands down

Everyone won the trade.

 

[Bocephus86]

All tools, no toolbox. Plug him into an already great team and he has enough raw talent to tread water, but the second you give him any sort of actual responsibility he immediately crumbles.

The Devils waited 6 years for him to show he was anything and he consistently failed. Top line, middle-six, bottom line, PP, PK, center, wing, checking line, two-way, offense only. He failed at everything.

He has shown flashes of turning it around before only to pull the rug out from under you every single time. I'm going to put much more weight into that large body of work that I will the most recent 40 games. Good for Pav for getting his bag, and if I'm wrong then so be it. But I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of Boston fans change their tune in 12 months when the honeymoon period ends.

Let me preface this by saying I am NOT saying Pavel will end up the same way, but this entire post was almost word for word what pretty much the entire Bruins fan base said about Blake Wheeler when we traded him ahead of the cup run in 2011. Right from the 'All tools, no toolbox' statement, which I used to describe him like 100 times when he was a Bruin.

Again, I am NOT saying Zacha is going to turn into Wheeler here, but it did give me a funny tingling feeling when I read this post. One can hope. Big C that under performed for his first team but they held onto him for a while hoping for the pedigree to shine. Gets traded in his mid 20s and either the change of scenery or the shame of being given up on by a team ignites a fire that wasn't there.

I'm trying to wish-cast this into existence by the way.

 

[Shroud of Orrin]

Let me preface this by saying I am NOT saying Pavel will end up the same way, but this entire post was almost word for word what pretty much the entire Bruins fan base said about Blake Wheeler when we traded him ahead of the cup run in 2011. Right from the 'All tools, no toolbox' statement, which I used to describe him like 100 times when he was a Bruin.

Again, I am NOT saying Zacha is going to turn into Wheeler here, but it did give me a funny tingling feeling when I read this post. One can hope. Big C that under performed for his first team but they held onto him for a while hoping for the pedigree to shine. Gets traded in his mid 20s and either the change of scenery or the shame of being given up on by a team ignites a fire that wasn't there.

I'm trying to wish-cast this into existence by the way.

Neither. Although I'm sure that helped to. It's the company he's keeping and brotherhood of Pasta and Krej. I say "keeping" because he's earning his ride with near-mistake free hockey and he's clearly playing off those two. Seems to me, it's chemistry! Even the casual observer can see his level of engagement, joy for the game and decision making/precession has improved. Funny how that happens some time with more responsibility. Great deal for us and helps our identity.

 

[JimEIV]

Everyone won the trade.

I'm not sure. I don't think Haula's value equals Zacha's. From that perspective I do think the Bruins won the trade.

From a need perspective, it might be a little more even.

We needed what Haula has brought to New Jersey. We needed a little more veteran presence in the lineup and we needed a 3rd line center for a while...I also think Haula has given Jack a little more room to roam by taking a more defensive posture....
but I am not sure any of that is worth a 25 year old Zacha? Seems what Haula brings could've been found for much less without giving up the 5/6 year age difference between the players.

Still NJ is seeing results that they haven't in a very long time and Haula has been a part of that success... I'd still give the win to Boston on the trade.

 

[JimEIV]

He's been consistent all season for the Bruins though. It's not here one week gone the next like your describing. I don't know if it's the change of scenery but he's out there giving 100% every shift and I've been pleasently surprised with his defensive game. If this is his inconsistencies then I'll take it because he's fit right in with this team and it's been smooth sailing thus far. 40+ games seems like a good sample size to judge his game for Bruins fans and this contract has been well earned in a B's jersey .

His game logs don't look very consistent.
From December 5th to December 23rd 10 games no goals, 4 assist and a -2 on the leagues best team? Looks very stale to me?

In just half a season you can see stretches of nothing with hardly any shots in his game logs. Before he just had the 3 point night he had 6 games with nothing and only 3 shots on goal.

That's the Zacha we know

Edit: what I think is going on here is Boston fans just aren't looking for Zacha to carry the water...on a team with Bergeron, Pastrnak, Marchand, Krejci, Hall...you don't have to.

New Jersey was looking for Zacha to be an impact player especially when their two #1OA were struggling to produce much of anything. Zacha took the ire of the fans for a lot of the problems New Jersey had. Obviously that's not the case in Boston.

 

[BlackFrancis]

His game logs don't look very consistent.
From December 5th to December 23rd 10 games no goals, 4 assist and a -2 on the leagues best team? Looks very stale to me?

In just half a season you can see stretches of nothing with hardly any shots in his game logs. Before he just had the 3 point night he had 6 games with nothing and only 3 shots on goal.

That's the Zacha we know

Edit: what I think is going on here is Boston fans just aren't looking for Zacha to carry the water...on a team with Bergeron, Pastrnak, Marchand, Krejci, Hall...you don't have to.

New Jersey was looking for Zacha to be an impact player especially when their two #1OA were struggling to produce much of anything. Zacha took the ire of the fans for a lot of the problems New Jersey had. Obviously that's not the case in Boston.

It's a lot more palatable when a guy puts up a goose egg when one of his linemates is going completely berserk and the other is having one of his best seasons point-wise at age 36, one year removed from retiring to Bohemia.

When the team's laying waste to the league, it gets even easier.

It's a lot like Haula. Last season, that dude went through a dry spell at the start of the season like I've never seen, and sending him and the guy who signed him to the AHL, or possibly Saint Helena wasn't seen as a harsh reaction. He started off super slow for you guys this season, but he got the job done and the team kicked ass, so sunshine and kisses for everyone.

 

[Dellstrom]

His game logs don't look very consistent.
From December 5th to December 23rd 10 games no goals, 4 assist and a -2 on the leagues best team? Looks very stale to me?

In just half a season you can see stretches of nothing with hardly any shots in his game logs. Before he just had the 3 point night he had 6 games with nothing and only 3 shots on goal.

That's the Zacha we know

Edit: what I think is going on here is Boston fans just aren't looking for Zacha to carry the water...on a team with Bergeron, Pastrnak, Marchand, Krejci, Hall...you don't have to.

New Jersey was looking for Zacha to be an impact player especially when their two #1OA were struggling to produce much of anything. Zacha took the ire of the fans for a lot of the problems New Jersey had. Obviously that's not the case in Boston.

Your edit is perfect. Zacha can and has played on any of our top 3 lines in any position. He’s shown he can play with anyone, has never complained and makes an impact on every game even with 0 points.

He’s been a really, really good supporting player and a reason why Pasta and Krejci are putting up insane seasons like the poster above mentioned. The only knock on him is his goal scoring, but I think he’s been snakebitten and will improve there. The Czech line is so dominant and gets so many chances, it will even out.

 

[HugeInTheShire]

I for one always like Zacha, when he was on he'd be the best player on the ice unfortunately he couldn't keep that up on a nightly basis and often you wouldn't even notice he played.
He also looked like the pressure of his draft position got to him, he was just never going to live up the that spot.
I knew he'd flourish on a team where he could be looked at as secondary player instead of a core piece

 

[ON3M4N]

I for one always like Zacha, when he was on he'd be the best player on the ice unfortunately he couldn't keep that up on a nightly basis and often you wouldn't even notice he played.
He also looked like the pressure of his draft position got to him, he was just never going to live up the that spot.
I knew he'd flourish on a team where he could be looked at as secondary player instead of a core piece

Funny enough Hall made essentially similar comments about joining Boston. Paraphrasing, but basically why Hall wanted to go to Boston was because he could be "another one of the guys" and didn't have to be the guy for the team. Some guys no matter how talented don't want the pressure of being the face of a franchise or the captain, etc.

Your edit is perfect. Zacha can and has played on any of our top 3 lines in any position. He’s shown he can play with anyone, has never complained and makes an impact on every game even with 0 points.

He’s been a really, really good supporting player and a reason why Pasta and Krejci are putting up insane seasons like the poster above mentioned. The only knock on him is his goal scoring, but I think he’s been snakebitten and will improve there. The Czech line is so dominant and gets so many chances, it will even out.

He's actually played on all 4 lines

 

[wintersej]

I'm not sure. I don't think Haula's value equals Zacha's. From that perspective I do think the Bruins won the trade.

From a need perspective, it might be a little more even.

We needed what Haula has brought to New Jersey. We needed a little more veteran presence in the lineup and we needed a 3rd line center for a while...I also think Haula has given Jack a little more room to roam by taking a more defensive posture....
but I am not sure any of that is worth a 25 year old Zacha? Seems what Haula brings could've been found for much less without giving up the 5/6 year age difference between the players.

Still NJ is seeing results that they haven't in a very long time and Haula has been a part of that success... I'd still give the win to Boston on the trade.

It's not worth a 25 year old Zacha. But, Jersey was tight on the cap and was considering not even qualifying him. Both teams are better off from making the deal than not making the deal. Is Boston, potentially, MORE better off? Sure.

 

[Patdud]

NJ Fans can hate him all they want, so far hes bought in and has fit in on every line hes played on. has a wicked skill for missing the net but w.e. he leads the team in 5v5 Assists. Its like Hall before him, just plugs right in...

 

[TrufleShufle]

NJ Fans can hate him all they want, so far hes bought in and has fit in on every line hes played on. has a wicked skill for missing the net but w.e. he leads the team in 5v5 Assists. Its like Hall before him, just plugs right in...

Most of the hate comes from what you just described and knowing he has that ability and far too often just didn't use it. If he keeps it up, and maybe being traded is the kick in the pants he needed to do some, he is a great addition to any team.

I said it after the trade happened and before he stepped on the ice. He will piss off the Devils fans for the first while with how well he's playing, and then piss off the Bruins for the next few months when he stops.

I'm in no way hoping he fails though, I hope the Bruins overall do, obviously, but I had nothing against Zacha but frustration, hopefully he finally found a way to stay consistent.

 

[Forge]

Regardless he doesnt hit 50 the deal looks like a clear win for the Bruins hands down

If the team was wiling to extend him, they are obviously happy with him in some regard so seems like a good move for them. He was never going to get that kind of extension in New Jersey and likewise, Haula was probably not going to get that kind of extension in Boston.

 

[ninetyeight]

First of all I'm very happy for Zacha. Unlike a lot of my fellow Devils fans, I was always rooting for him. And a lot of our posters really hated him, which made me want to support him even more.

I hated the Zacha-Haula trade when it was announced, and it doesn't look any better right now. But it's hard to complain when Devils are now finally winning games. I actually thought Zacha would be close to a ppg player in Boston, but he's really producing at the same rate he did in NJ. Inconsistant 30-50pts pace player.

I think the big difference here is that Boston fans are thrilled for a 40+pts player, where as for the Devils he'll always be that 6OA player that failed to live up to the expectations.

 

[6ix]

Boston is such a fascinating team when it comes to contracts. They get their star players on absolute steal deals, but overpay mid tier players.

Very curious to see what pasta will end up getting.

 

[wintersej]

First of all I'm very happy for Zacha. Unlike a lot of my fellow Devils fans, I was always rooting for him. And a lot of our posters really hated him, which made me want to support him even more.

I hated the Zacha-Haula trade when it was announced, and it doesn't look any better right now. But it's hard to complain when Devils are now finally winning games. I actually thought Zacha would be close to a ppg player in Boston, but he's really producing at the same rate he did in NJ. Inconsistant 30-50pts pace player.

I think the big difference here is that Boston fans are thrilled for a 40+pts player, where as for the Devils he'll always be that 6OA player that failed to live up to the expectations.

He is on a 54 point pace including SECOND on the team in 5 on 5 points. He gets no PP time.

Boston is such a fascinating team when it comes to contracts. They get their star players on absolute steal deals, but overpay mid tier players.

Very curious to see what pasta will end up getting.

If you want to talk overpayment... Zacha is outscoring Tavares at 5 on 5.

 

[Mirka the Turka]

The problem with Zacha is he mentally gave up on the Devils, any trade with something coming back was a good trade.

But he always had a lot of potential. I Can see him being a 60-70pt player with the Bruins, maybe hit PPG at one point of his career. But that wasn’t happening on the Devils.

 

[ninetyeight]

He is on a 54 point pace including SECOND on the team in 5 on 5 points. He gets no PP time.

He's was over 50pts and close 30 goals pace with the Devils too, in the covid season I believe. The last 4 years he's been more or less the same with ups and downs, well over 0.5ppg. I think that's pretty good production, but most of the Devils fans just expected more with him being a 6th overall pick.

 

[Mick Riddleton]

Scored tonight playing on the Czechia line with Pasta and Krejci. Guy is fitting in perfectly, he kills penalties and gets no power play time. If he does not score he is playing effeectively on every shift being responsible in all 3 zones.

 

[Neutrinos]

While it does appear that Boston gave Zacha a higher AAV than his career to date would suggest he's worth, I haven't seen him play enough in recent years - or at all since joining the Bruins - so I'm not qualified to give any sort of analysis on his projected value throughout the contract

With that said, I do like that the contract only covers those years which have traditionally been when a player peaks. If a team's going to gamble/overpay on a player, it's probably best to do it as they're entering their prime rather than nearing the end of it

 

[Son of Donegal]

First of all I'm very happy for Zacha. Unlike a lot of my fellow Devils fans, I was always rooting for him. And a lot of our posters really hated him, which made me want to support him even more.

I hated the Zacha-Haula trade when it was announced, and it doesn't look any better right now. But it's hard to complain when Devils are now finally winning games. I actually thought Zacha would be close to a ppg player in Boston, but he's really producing at the same rate he did in NJ. Inconsistant 30-50pts pace player.

I think the big difference here is that Boston fans are thrilled for a 40+pts player, where as for the Devils he'll always be that 6OA player that failed to live up to the expectations.

Similar vibes when the Bruins secured Hall. Nothing but (perhaps warranted) vitriol from my friends from the NJD fan base. One friend guaranteed that Hall would either wear out his welcome or request a trade two years into his contract. In the case of Hall and Zacha, there was just a better fit as support players amongst excellent team leaders and lower expectations by the fan base.

This is a while ago…but the Bruins traded for Nathan Horton and picked up Michael Ryder as a UFA after MTL opted not to resign him. Two imperfect players who fit perfectly as Bruins. Foligno and Charlie Coyle - two players carrying what looked like rough contracts last year are proving to be key pieces.

What if the Bruins had panicked and made a play for JT Miller…or OEL (instead of Lindholm)? The Bruins would be in a very different place!

Hockey is fascinating!