So far this season, Bruins fans have gotten just about everything they could have possibly asked for.
They got another year of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. They got a team that has all the pieces to make a legitimate run at a Stanley Cup and that is currently on pace to break the NHL single-season points record.
They're even pretty happy with the one gift they didn't want at first -- a new coach -- as Jim Montgomery has quickly won the hearts and minds of Bruins Nation.
Yes, Bruins fans will be pretty happy waking up to this haul on Christmas morning. But… there is still one thing that's been near the top of their list for months that they haven't gotten yet: A David Pastrnak extension.
Friday night's 4-3 win over the New Jersey Devils -- Boston's final game before a three-day holiday break -- offered the latest reminder that Bruins fans really, really want this, even if they already have so much else.
Pastrnak scored twice in the win and now has 24 goals and 47 points in 33 games this season. He has an 11-game point streak and 15 goals in the last 16 games. He is tied for third in the NHL in goals and is sixth in points.
And he remains unsigned beyond this season. Despite mutual interest in getting an extension done and frequent talks between the two sides, the Bruins and Pastrnak have not yet found common ground on a new contract.
That may not be entirely the Bruins' fault. It's possible they've made a competitive offer but Pastrnak simply isn't in any rush to sign. Quite frankly, he doesn't have any reason to be. If anything, he's only making himself more money this season.
Nonetheless, the fanbase is growing a little restless. Don't believe me? Check out some of the social media reaction after Pastrnak's second goal:
The sense of urgency among Boston fans at large has likely increased recently given the way things played out with another star in town, Xander Bogaerts. The Red Sox didn't lock up Bogaerts before free agency, didn't come particularly close to offering market value, and ultimately lost him to a better offer elsewhere. The locals do not want to see a repeat with Pastrnak (or Rafael Devers, for that matter).
It's almost certainly going to take the richest contract in Bruins history to lock Pastrnak up, with an eight-year max extension likely exceeding the $76 million ($9.5 million per year) that Charlie McAvoy got. It might take matching Pastrnak's jersey number with $88 million, or possibly even more.
Sure, the Bruins do have cap considerations to take into account. The salary cap is expected to only go up by $1 million next season, and they could have bonus overages from Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci to deal with.
But there's no scenario where losing Pastrnak helps them going forward. Every best-case scenario for next year and beyond includes Pastrnak, who tied Bobby Orr for 10th on the team's all-time goals list on Friday and will have a chance to break Johnny Bucyk's franchise record if he stays for eight more years.
Bruins fans have already gotten plenty of great gifts that are sure to keep them happy for the next several months, at least until the playoffs. But a Pastrnak extension is something they could enjoy for years to come. It probably won't be sitting under the tree on Christmas morning at this point, but the Boston faithful would gladly settle for a late delivery in the weeks to come.
