David Pastrnak wants $68,000,000 Edmonton Oilers star to come join Boston Bruins

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified May 31, 2024 12:35 GMT

In Friday's episode of the Spittin' Chiclets podcast, Boston Bruins alternate captain David Pastrnak expressed his desire to see Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl don the black and gold jersey of the Bruins.

The host mentioned a few names that Pastrnak feels would be a valuable addition for the team. When Draisaitl's name came up, he nodded in agreement.

"I would love Draisaitl," he said.

However, when Toronto Maple Leafs forward Tyler Bertuzzi's name came up, he wasn't sure about having him play once again for the Bruins.

"(Tyler) Bertuzzi went to the Leafs. I mean, I don't know, you guys got me into a tight squeeze right now," Pastrnak said.

One other thing that Pastrnak added was that, given the Bruins rich NHL history, it should be more than enough to "entice" players here.

"But as I said, for the Boston Bruins, part of the Original 6, that should be enough to entice you to play here. We'll see, I think it's going to be an interesting summer," Pastrnak added.

Draisaitl signed a substantial eight-year, $68,000,000 contract with the Edmonton Oilers in August 2017. He still has one more year left on his contract before he becomes an unrestricted free agent ahead of the 2025–26 season. It all depends on how the Western Conference Finals play out which is currently tied 2-2.

If the combo of Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid is unable to secure a championship this year, it won't be surprising to see the Oilers trade Draisaitl.

The Bruins can also chase Tyler Bertuzzi, who is set to become a free agent, but the possibility of it remains bleak at the moment.

David Pastrnak's performance for Czechia in the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship

Czechia defeated Switzerland 2-0 in the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Prague, with David Pastrnak scoring the game-winning goal in the third period. Pastrnak's goal at 9:13, his first of the tournament, broke a four-game drought and prompted frenzied celebrations.

After the medals were awarded, Pastrnak said:

"We did it at home. We've been waiting for gold for a very long time and it couldn't have come at a better time. It's always a big thank you [to the fans]. They did amazing for weeks, and we were so excited to be able to extend it for them to play for the medal."

David Kampf added an empty-netter, while goalie Lukas Dostal recorded his third shutout with 31 saves. The victory marked Czechia’s first gold since 2010 and their 13th overall. The game played in front of a record 17,413 fans was full of intense action with no penalties. Czech captain Roman Cervenka led with 11 points.

Pastrnak, who joined the team after the Boston Bruins got eliminated from the NHL playoffs, expressed his excitement about playing for the national team.

"This is always so special. (IIHF event) was at home, and I've never played at home," Pastrnak said. "It would be really hard for me to say no. Obviously, when I'm healthy, I will never say no to the national team."

Switzerland’s Leonardo Genoni made 41 saves but couldn't prevent the defeat. Despite a strong performance from their NHL stars, Switzerland settled for silver, with Andres Ambuhl becoming the oldest player to win a silver medal at the Worlds.