Boston Bruins

"There’s a big difference between listening and wanting to move him, though."

By Conor Ryan

June 21, 2026 | 7:37 PM

3 minutes to read

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The offseason is starting to heat up for the Boston Bruins.

Now that the Carolina Hurricanes have hoisted the Stanley Cup, Don Sweeney and Co. have their work cut out for them this summer, with the 2026 NHL Draft set to begin on Friday and the start of NHL free agency on tap for July 1. ​

Several teams have already jumped the gun when it comes to augmenting their roster — headlined by the Panthers reportedly dealing away three first-round picks as part of the package to pry Brady Tkachuk out of Ottawa.

The Maple Leafs have also been busy, dealing for the rights to Darren Raddysh (and signing him to an eight-year, $68 million contract) while also swapping goalies (among other assets) with the Flyers.

Sweeney and the Bruins also pulled off a minor deal with the Sharks on Thursday, sending the rights of unsigned prospect Andre Gasseau (and a 2026 fourth-round pick) to San Jose in exchange for a higher 2026 fourth-round selection and a 2026 fifth-round selection.

But, the Bruins might be willing to make a few more drastic changes to their forward corps in the coming weeks.

According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the Bruins are willing to listen in on trade offers for center Pavel Zacha — even if Boston’s preferred path forward is signing the 29-year-old forward to a new deal.

“In a market starved for centers, the Bruins are listening on Pavel Zacha, which is an intriguing name to say the least. There’s a big difference between listening and wanting to move him, though,” LeBrun wrote.

Zacha — who is eligible to sign a new extension with the Bruins starting on July 1 — is set for a sizable pay raise. The versatile forward, who is entering the final year of his contract and will command a $4.75 million cap hit in 2026-27, is coming off the best season of his career​.

Zacha tallied a career-best 30 goals and 65 points last season while driving one of the top lines in the NHL between Viktor Arvidsson and Casey Mittelstadt.

Speaking during the team’s break-up day in May, Zacha stressed that there haven’t been any substantial discussions with the Bruins so far​.

“’ll leave that [to] my agent and them this summer, if there’s going to be anything,” Zacha said. “But so far there’s been nothing. We were on a mission this season to make the playoffs, and then go from there. I think we’re both focused on the same goal. Unfortunately it didn’t work out, but now there’s time this summer, we’ll see what happens.”

Zacha — who has averaged 21 goals and 57 points per season over his four seasons with Boston — has been a stable presence down the middle for the Bruins, who can serve in a variety of roles for Marco Sturm.

But, the Bruins might have to face some tough questions this offseason when it comes to Zacha’s value and whether or not the best long-term plan for the franchise involves handing the Czech skater a long-term, pricey contract — especially with Elias Lindholm already accounting for a sizable cap hit ($7.75 million for another five seasons).

“How those talks go will be balanced with whether teams step up in a real way in trade talks,” LeBrun added of negotiations between Zacha and the Bruins. “This is an intriguing situation to monitor, to say the least.

“So many teams are looking to upgrade at center, and some of them have called over the past week or so. Zacha has a no-trade list that allows him to say no to eight teams, and I’m told he submitted that list to Boston on April 1.”

Even if retaining Zacha for the long haul does give Boston another stable, middle-six regular to slot into the lineup, he could also be a valuable trade chip — especially in a seller’s market short on talented centers.

Dealing Zacha could potentially be an avenue for Boston to recoup another first-round pick or coveted prospect entering Friday’s NHL Draft — especially with teams like the Winnipeg Jets (who hold the No. 8 pick), Blue Jackets, and Flyers all in need of a talented 2C.

Zacha could also be a headlining piece to a larger trade package, especially if the Bruins can parlay that into an upgrade on the roster, be it for a top-line center, impact defenseman, or elite scoring wing.

Of course, dealing away Zacha would rob Boston of some assured production — as well as the club’s best center entering a new season.

But, if Boston wants to immediately thrust younger skaters like Fraser Minten and James Hagens into elevated roles, have doubts over giving Zacha a long-term deal, or are knocked over by an impressive trade proposal, Sweeney and his staff might be willing to deal away one of their top assets.