Pavel Zacha signs one-year, $3.5 million deal with Bruins

BOSTON -- The Bruins re-signed Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci on Monday, but their work was not done.

The team also came to an agreement with forward Pavel Zacha on a deal that will pay him $3.5 million in 2022-23. The one-year deal prevents the Bruins and Zacha from going through an arbitration hearing, which had been scheduled for Aug. 11. 

Zacha, 25, was traded to the Bruins in mid-July, in exchange for Erik Haula.

Zacha joined the Bruins as a restricted free agent, and he was coming off a career high in points with 36 last year with the Devils.

Zacha was the sixth overall pick by the Devils in the 2015 draft. He made his NHL debut at the end of the 2015-16 season, registering two assists in his one game. He became a lineup regular the following year at age 19.

Zacha popped as a goal-scorer in the shortened 2020-21 season, scoring 17 goals in just 50 games for New Jersey. He has averaged 21 assists per year over the past three seasons, highlighted by a career-high 24 assists in the 2019-20 seasons.