In this edition of Boston Bruins News & Rumors, Jack Studnicka has been shipped off to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Michael DiPietro and Jonathan Myrenberg. In other news, there is said to be a significant gap between the organization and David Pastrnak in regard to contract extensions. Meanwhile, David Krejci was forced to leave Thursday night’s game versus the Detroit Red Wings game with an upper-body injury, on a night in which Brad Marchand happened to make his season debut.
Studnicka Traded to Canucks
On Thursday afternoon, the Bruins made a deal with the Canucks, sending Studnicka off in exchange for DiPietro and Myrenberg. It officially puts to bed what was a rather rocky tenure with Studnicka, who was regarded as one of the organization’s top prospects for a number of seasons but was unable to carve out a full-time role for himself. Despite cracking the Bruins roster out of training camp this season, he has appeared in just one game this season.
Coming back the other way is a goaltender in DiPietro, who had requested a trade this offseason. The 23-year-old was viewed as a solid prospect just a few seasons ago but saw himself fall down the depth chart at a rapid rate as of late. In 34 games with the Abbotsford Canucks in the American Hockey League last season, he recorded a 2.95 goals against average (GAA) along with a .901 save percentage (SV%).
Heading to the Bruins alongside DiPietro is Myrenberg. The 19-year-old defenseman, who was selected in the fifth round (140 overall) in the 2021 Draft, has started off the 2022-23 season with Mora IK, a team in the second-highest professional tier in Sweden. In nine games on the year, he has recorded a goal and an assist. While not a top prospect, he does have a shot at developing into a top-six defenseman at the NHL level in the future.
Bruins & Pastrnak Far Apart in Contract Talks
According to a recent report from TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the Bruins and Pastrnak have a ‘sizable gap’ in their current contract discussions. The 26-year-old is set to become an unrestricted free agent this coming offseason and could command a deal that carries a salary north of $10 million per year. That number may increase even further if he maintains his tremendous start to the 2022-23 campaign, as he has managed six goals and 15 points in eight games thus far.
Related: Meet Your New Bruins: Michael DiPietro & Jonathan Myrenberg
Despite the gap in negotiations at this point, it isn’t time to panic just yet. There have been reports in recent weeks that the Bruins are willing to make Pastrnak the highest-paid player in franchise history, and will do whatever it takes to get him locked up. Obviously, the longer this situation plays out the more nerve-wracking it will become, but at this point, it still seems far more likely than not that he will sign an extension.
Krejci Suffers Upper-Body Injury
After leaving the NHL for the 2021-22 season, Krejci has come back in 2022-23 and looks as good as ever. Through eight games, the 36-year-old has two goals and eight points, making him a big part of the reason the Bruins sit at 7-1-0 on the year. Unfortunately, however, they may be without him for some time, as he was forced to leave partway through Thursday night’s game versus the Red Wings with an upper-body injury.
It has not yet been announced how much time Krejci may miss, but he has already been ruled out of tonight’s game versus the Columbus Blue Jackets. The hope is that this will prove to be a short-term issue, but until an announcement is made, it remains anyone’s guess.
Marchand Makes Season Debut
When the 2022-23 season first began, it was expected that Marchand would be out until late November, as he was continuing his recovery from double hip surgery in the Spring. To the surprise of many, however, his health improved much quicker than expected, allowing him to turn versus the Red Wings on Thursday night.
Anyone who was expecting some rust from the 34-year-old veteran were mistaken, as he had two goals and an assist in the 5-1 win. Those numbers should continue, as he has been one of the game’s most productive players for plenty of seasons now. While the Krejci injury is disappointing, having Marchand back in the lineup will more than makeup for it.
Looking Ahead for the Bruins
As mentioned, the Bruins are back in action tonight against the Blue Jackets in what will be their final game of the week. They will then prepare for a tough three-game schedule next week, which will see them face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, the New York Rangers on Thursday, and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. They will be looking to continue to widen what is already a five-point Atlantic Division lead.
