Bruins had a Pavel Zacha trade rejected, raising questions about his future

Pavel Zacha was on the Boston Bruins' radar as a trade chip when they came calling for Kirill Marchenko.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported that the center's name came up in talks between Boston and the Columbus Blue Jackets.

That chase is finished now.

Columbus sent Marchenko to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sept. 28 in a six-player deal, and he signed a six-year, $75 million extension with Toronto.

The Blue Jackets got Matthew Knies back, a younger winger signed through 2031 at $7.75 million per season.

So the Bruins missed. But the story did not end there, because it shined a light on a bigger question back in Boston.

Zacha is 29 and in the final year of a contract that carries a $4.75 million cap hit.

Both sides have talked about an extension, yet they are not close.

LeBrun said the Bruins were caught off guard by the number they heard in June and are nervous about how a long deal will age.

There is a twist, though. Contracts around the league have jumped since the summer, so that June ask may not feel as steep now.

The calendar matters. If the Bruins are outside a playoff spot near the March 1 trade deadline and Zacha is still unsigned, LeBrun made it pretty clear how that story likely ends.

Good centers rarely hit the market, and Montreal was listed by Sportsnet among the teams watching him closely.

For now, the talks continue.

Boston can still find common ground, but if it does not, Zacha could become one of the most sought-after names of the season.

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