The trade market may still be weeks away from heating up, but that hasn’t stopped talk from swirling around the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins. Earlier this week, insider Pierre LeBrun reported that Vancouver had reached out to Boston earlier in the summer to inquire about centre Pavel Zacha, testing the waters to see if the Bruins might be open to moving him.
LeBrun confirmed the interest on TSN’s Insider Trading, saying:
“There was also speculation over the weekend of another centre, Pavel Zacha, of the Boston Bruins. There’s no question, and sources confirm, that the Vancouver Canucks did indeed reach out to the Bruins over the summer to gauge interest and to see if he was available.”
While that may have sparked some intrigue among fans, LeBrun quickly poured cold water on the possibility of a deal anytime soon. According to his sources, the Bruins see Zacha as a long-term piece of their core, not a trade chip.
“What I’m being told is that the Bruins view Pavel Zacha as a long-term fit,” LeBrun added. “He has another year on his deal after this year, but don’t be surprised if they try to extend him this summer. At 28 years old, they look at him as being age-appropriate for this roster transition, and they feel he fits in very well and would like to keep him around.”
But that does not mean the Bruins won’t circle back if they continue to struggle out of the gate in the first months of the 2025-26 season.
Zacha, who’s quietly become a reliable two-way forward for Boston, continues to earn praise for his versatility down the middle and his chemistry with David Pastrnak. For now, it seems Vancouver’s inquiry was more due diligence than serious trade talk, but it does underscore the Canucks’ continued search for centre depth and that a trade may soon be coming their way, especially with eight regular players out with injuries.