Pavel Zacha Just Had His Best NHL Season. Now the Bruins Are Getting Trade Calls.

The Boston Bruins have a problem most teams would love to have. Pavel Zacha just scored 30 goals and put up 65 points in 78 games, the best year of his career. And now other teams want him.

According to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, Bruins GM Don Sweeney has been taking calls about Zacha. It makes sense. The center market is thin this summer, and Zacha is a 29-year-old who can play center or wing, produces offense, and carries a $4.75 million cap hit for one more season. That’s a pretty attractive package.

But here’s the thing. LeBrun is careful to note there’s a big difference between listening and actually wanting to move a guy. Right now, Boston’s priority is signing Zacha to an extension. He becomes extension-eligible on July 1, and the Bruins would rather keep him than trade him.

Why teams are calling about Zacha

The market for centers is brutal this year. Not a lot of quality options available. So when a team like Boston has a proven top-six center who’s not locked up long-term, other GMs are going to pick up the phone. LeBrun reports multiple clubs have reached out over the past week to check on Zacha’s availability.

Zacha does have some control here. He submitted a no-trade list to Boston on April 1 that lets him block trades to eight teams. So even if Sweeney decides to deal him, Zacha has some say in where he ends up.

The extension question

Zacha is due for a raise. After a 30-goal season, he’s going to command significantly more than his current $4.75 million. That’s the tricky part for Boston. They have to decide whether they want to pay him what the market says he’s worth or pivot and take a big trade package.

LeBrun says the Bruins’ top priority this summer is extending Zacha. But with teams circling and a thin center market, that could change fast. If someone makes Sweeney an offer he can’t refuse, Boston might have a tough decision on its hands.

For now, Zacha remains a Bruin. And the Bruins are still hoping to keep him in black and gold. But the phone keeps ringing, and that’s not going to stop anytime soon.