Pavel Zacha remains a member of the Boston Bruins as the 2026-27 NHL season gets underway, despite trade rumors swirling around him.
Zacha played in the Bruins’ opener, registering three shots on target earlier this week, and is expected to keep putting on his Boston sweater as long as he remains with the team.
Eventually, though, a trade could come.
It’s the kind of thing that could put on the back burner for a little while as the season slowly finds its footing, but eventually, the same reasons Zacha had already found his way into rumors could return to put him back in the crosshairs again.
It’s going to be a narrative worth monitoring as the season goes along, for sure.
Pavel Zacha Trade Update
Lyle Richardson of Bleacher Report is certainly keeping track of Zacha — he’s got him at No. 10 on his NHL trade board released on Oct. 1.
The ranking reflects a combination of Zacha’s talent and his likelihood of being traded.
The Bruins wanted to get Zacha a new contract, but it didn’t happen. That’s the crux of the whole situation.
“Earlier this summer, Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said his goal was to re-sign Pavel Zacha,” Richardson writes. “The 29-year-old center had a career-best 30-goal, 65-point season and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July. However, training camp opened without a new contract for Zacha.”
This could all change in a hurry if the Bruins reach a new contract agreement with Zacha.
If they don’t, though, things could also move quickly toward a deal.
“The Bruins will start this season with Zacha in the lineup,” Richardson writes. “However, his name could surface again in the rumor mill if they struggle through October.”
Key Trade Factor
The main key here, of course, is that Zacha is in the last year of his contract in Boston.
Teams don’t like to lose players to free agency for nothing.
If the Bruins are contending this season with Zacha playing well, he’s worth keeping around to see how far they can go. If the playoff picture starts to slip away, it makes more sense to explore getting value for him while they still can.
“Zacha is in the final season of a four-year contract with a cap hit of $4.8 million,” Richardson writes. “He also has an eight-team no-trade list. Another 30-goal, 65-point season could put him in line to earn $10 million annually on his next contract.”
That $4.8 million cap hit makes Zacha a relative bargain if he does get moved to a contender this season.
The eight-team no-trade list is helpful, too. The NHL is now filled with no-trade clauses, but this specific one leaves more than two-thirds of the league there for the Bruins to trade Zacha to without needing his permission.
Watch the noise out of Boston in the weeks and months ahead. If things go poorly for the Bruins, Zacha may still be on his way out of town.
Bruins’ Pavel Zacha Trade Update Brings Warning