Ryan: The Bruins might be in a ‘win-now’ mindset, but selling David Pastrnak on the future also looms large

The Bruins didn’t necessarily need to sell Jim Montgomery on their short-term vision for the 2022-23 campaign.

Even though Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci eventually signed at the dotted line on their respective contracts in August, their recent comments seemed to reflect that both player and team knew for quite some time that a reunion was in the cards this season — and that the franchise was remaining fixated on at least one more kick at the can with this core in place.

For a bench boss in Montgomery who was already eager to lead an NHL roster once again, the prospect of joining a “win-now” team coming off of a 107-point campaign stood as an offer too good to pass up.

But before taking his new post, Montgomery’s questions to the team evolved more around what lies beyond a potentially fruitful 2022-23 season. Because with both a 37-year-old Bergeron and 36-year-old Krejci on one-year contracts, the writing is on the wall. After more than a decade spent squeezing every bit of contention out of this core by way of dealing prospects and allocating assets toward the present, the bill is inevitably going to come due for Boston. 

And if Montgomery intends on settling here long-term, he was going to need some reassurances about the future of this team beyond the promise of this upcoming year.

“When you go into an interview, you have your own questions. And you want to know and understand the vision of the Bruins moving forward by President Cam Neely and also the general manager, because it's his vision and I'm coaching the players and the assets that he's bringing in,” Montgomery said Tuesday during his appearance on WEEI’s Gresh & Keefe. “And the one thing that was clear right away made by everybody, including ownership, was the Bruins are expected to win and the Bruins are expected to compete.

“And those two things resonate with any coach, that if part of your job is expected to get your players to compete, that should be the least that we should demand of our players, right? And I think that some of the questions that I asked were what's the vision for the next two years? And then what's the plan after Bergeron and Krejci and maybe some other players have moved on? I left that meeting very confident that the Bruins are — because of their vision and their plans — that we're going to be in a good situation no matter what moving forward.”

Whatever vision that the B’s top brass mapped out was enough to get Montgomery to buy in. But the more daunting task is getting the players themselves to buy into a similar notion — in which a franchise with little in terms of a contingency plan down the middle once Bergeron/Krejci retire can continue to assert itself as a viable contender in 2024 and beyond.

Keeping up that standard will be paramount in terms of attracting potential free agents during the post-Bergeron era (and frankly, it stands as perhaps Boston’s only avenue to successfully retool on the fly). But most importantly, the B’s are going to have to sell such a cheery vision to David Pastrnak — the pending UFA and franchise cornerstone who is central to Boston’s hopes of building a new generation of star talent in the years ahead.

So far, it’s largely been radio silence when it comes to Boston’s hopes of hammering out a long-term deal with Pastrnak — even though Don Sweeney noted in his last presser that the team has had “ongoing” talks with the forward’s representatives. 

Conventional thinking would have one believe that both parties eventually bridge the gap and work out a new contract once camp opens up next month — given Pastrnak’s comfort within this market, his (short-term) contentment with a full season next to David Krejci upcoming and Boston’s willingness to pay the sniper top dollar to retain his services.

But considering Pastrnak’s previous comments regarding money and what he values as a pro, perhaps assurances regarding the future of the Bruins stand as the top hurdle that Boston will need to clear in order to get Pastrnak to eventually ink an eight-year deal. 

Such a sentiment seems to be what was echoed by Andy & Rono (two dialed-in, Czech-based hockey data specialists) on Twitter earlier this week, with Pastrnak reportedly in “no rush” to sign a contract — at least not without a clearer vision in place for the future once this team is no longer buoyed by Bergeron and Krejci. 

It’s a perfectly valid reason for Pastrnak to be hesitant, given that the one thing that has eluded him in his career so far is a Stanley Cup. And the last thing the 26-year-old forward wants to do is surrender a hefty portion of his prime in service of a team that is scuttling in the standings.

That being said, it also puts Boston in a bind, given that most of their focus remains fixated on trying to make the most of this current window with both Bergeron and Krejci in place. 

Of course, the Bruins can sell Pastrnak on some of the other franchise cogs in place for the long term — including Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm and Jeremy Swayman. If they hit their ceiling, both Mason Lohrei and Fabian Lysell could be impact players in the NHL ranks as soon as next season.

But is that enough to convince Pastrnak, especially when the dilemma regarding Boston’s dearth of viable center prospects has not been solved — but rather kicked down the road following Bergeron and Krejci’s return?

Given Boston’s current situation, the best that Pastrnak can get in terms of assurances is likely just taking Sweeney and Co. at their word — with a bevy of cap commitments coming off the books next summer opening the door for Boston to augment its roster on the fly if 37 and 46 are no longer in the picture. 

Such a move requires a lot of faith on the part of Pastrnak — the star talent who, all things considered, should hold all of the leverage here. 

But be it the promises of free-agent splurges, the intrigue of Lysell/Lohrei breaking through or multiple other measures, the Bruins need to do whatever they can to get Pastrnak to buy into some avenues for optimism in the years ahead.

Because if Pastrnak isn’t willing to sit at the table when it comes to extension talks, more drastic measures will need to be taken. And Boston’s short-term hopes for one last run this spring could crumble before the 82-game gauntlet even begins.