The Boston Bruins may soon have to make a call on Pavel Zacha that gets more complicated by the week. Chris Johnston of The Athletic reports that while Boston would be open to an extension at the right price, the veteran center’s contract situation could become a tricky one as his unrestricted free agency looms in 2027.
Zacha carries a $4.75 million cap hit, and Johnston noted that there is a figure the Bruins would be comfortable with on a new deal. The problem, as he put it, is the direction of the market.
“There’s a number at which the Bruins would be happy to sign Zacha to a contract extension before he’s due to hit free agency next summer. However, with the market shifting leverage in favor of players, it’s becoming tougher to see the sides finding alignment on a new deal.
That could leave Boston in a fascinating position with Zacha as this season goes on.”
That leaves Boston weighing its options while the team has gotten out to a competitive start. The Bruins are not locked into a true win-now path, which means management could be forced to choose between keeping Zacha for a push or moving him before the situation gets messier.
In Detroit, Dylan Larkin’s name is also turning up in a bigger and bigger swirl of speculation. Helene St.
James of the Detroit Free Press reports that the Red Wings captain has expanded his trade list to 10 teams, opening the door to a wider range of possibilities. The reported list includes the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Utah Mammoth, Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils, and Colorado Avalanche.
St. James also suggested that a multi-team trade may be what it takes to get a deal done that works for everyone.
That chatter comes on the heels of ESPN’s John Buccigross saying a trade could happen in seven to 10 days, which would put the window around Oct. 23-26.
One team not on the expanded list is the Montreal Canadiens, despite the speculation that had built around Larkin after fans chanted, “We want Larkin!”
In Edmonton, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is set to make his season debut Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes. Head coach Mike Babcock said the forward will return after missing the start of the season because of a lower-body injury suffered during preseason practice.
Nugent-Hopkins had 56 points in 72 games last season, and his return gives the Oilers a needed lift in the middle of the ice and on the power play. Babcock has praised his intelligence, leadership, and ability to play with or without the puck, and Edmonton should be able to spread its top-end talent more evenly with him back in the lineup.
Brady Tkachuk also addressed the circumstances behind his move from Ottawa to Florida, and he pushed back on the idea that his family steered the decision. The former Senators captain said it was his call and that personal and professional factors were part of it, though he declined to go into all the details.
He made clear that he believes his work in Ottawa should stand on its own, saying, “It was 100% my decision. I’m a big boy. I can make decisions for myself and my family.”
In Other News...
Ottawa Fans Have Not Forgotten Brady Tkachuks Messy Exit
Brady Tkachuk is headed back to Ottawa this week wearing a different sweater, and it figures to be one of the louder emotional swings of the Senators season. The former captain, now with the Florida Panthers, left behind a fan base that once embraced him as the face of the franchise, only for his exit to come after a trade request that sat awkwardly beside his earlier public denials that he wanted out.
It is the kind of return that tends to stir up old feelings fast, especially in a building where supporters still remember how the story ended. Ottawa plans to welcome him with a tribute video, but the atmosphere is likely to be far less sentimental than the organizations gesture suggests, with Tkachuk himself admitting he is uneasy about what awaits him when he steps onto the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Brady Tkachuks Exit Is Forcing Senators Fans To Relive A Classic NHL Pain
Brady Tkachuks exit has sent Ottawa fans back to a familiar kind of NHL frustration, the sort that comes when a franchise loses a star and has to watch the rest of the league react to it. The Senators at least had a chance to soften the blow this time, turning the deal with Florida into draft capital and immediate help, which is more than some clubs have been able to say after losing a cornerstone player.
Still, the emotional comparison is hard to avoid because of how much control Tkachuk had over the destination, much like John Tavares once did when he left the Islanders. In Ottawa, the return can be measured and debated, but the larger question is how a fan base processes losing a player of that stature when the move was shaped from the start by the player himself. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Sent A Clear Message With Travis Green Decision
The Senators made an unusually early coaching move this week by extending Travis Green while he still had two years left on his current contract, a sign the organization wanted to send a message about where it believes the team is headed. In a league where coaches are often left to work through the uncertainty of an expiring deal, Ottawa chose instead to lock in some stability around a bench boss who has become increasingly tied to the clubs direction.
Insider Pierre LeBrun framed the extension as more than a simple vote of confidence, saying the Senators view Green as part of the group shaping the teams culture and future. The timing also lines up with Ottawas playoff push, and it helps remove any lingering question about Greens job security as the front office tries to keep the focus on the rosters core and the stretch run ahead. [Read more 🡒]