Boston Signs Pastrnak to Entry-Level Contract
On Tuesday, Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli announced that the team would be signing David Pastrnak to a three-year entry level contract. Pastrnak , who is a native of the Czech Republic, was drafted 25th overall in the first round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
Chiarelli said that he loved the way Pastrnak played at development camp, and looks promising as a member of the team- potentially even starting next year, since Chiarelli has announced that the 18-year-old forward will be playing in at least a few of Boston’s preseason games.
“He had a terrific development camp, and I know everyone’s talking about him. He’s a good young player, [and] he’s just 18 years old”.
“He had a terrific development camp, and I know everyone’s talking about him. He’s a good young player, [and] he’s just 18 years old”.
Pastrnak spent the past season playing overseas in Sweden, for Södertälje of Allsvenskan, the Swedish B League. He was also the assistant captain for the Czech Republic’s U18 World Junior team, and has competed additionally with the Czech Republic U20 World Junior team and the U20 International Junior team. During 35 games of international play, Pastrnak racked up seven goals and sixteen assists; during his games with Södertälje, he totaled eight goals and sixteen assists in 36 total games.
At the 2014 Entry Draft in Philadelphia, Pastrnak noted his excitement at being drafted by the team where fellow Czech forward David Krejci has blossomed; while the left winger has been compared to both Krejci and LA Kings forward Justin Williams, he has made it clear that Krejci is his hero.
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Pastrnak isn’t only an asset to the Bruins due to his potential mentor-mentee chemistry with the first liner, though. At development camp, it was noticed that he had almost immediate on-ice chemistry with some of his fellow prospects. He and newly signed defenseman Linus Arnesson seemed to have the immediate ability to read one another, and onlookers were able to see Pastrnak joking around and having slapshot contests with fellow draft prospect Ryan Donato. While Donato still has a year of high school left before he heads off to play hockey at his father’s alma mater, Harvard, it bodes well for the Bruins that players in their farm system are getting along so readily. This hints at a long and positive future in Boston.