Boston Bruins
Role Player
Preseason Reset: David Pastrnak will have to carry the offense again this season
Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...l-have-to-carry-the-offense-again-this-season
Editor’s note: This is the first of the new format of recap/preview content for the coming season. If you think it’s missing something or have any other suggestions, let me know in the comments.
Looking back (2024-2025)
- 82GP, 43G-63A-106PTS
For those of you who have been around this place for a while, I did a piece a long, long time ago (12 years?!) taking a look at Marc Savard’s incredible individual season on a terrible Bruins team.
(In case you can’t tell by the infographic, I had a lot more free time back then.)
In that season, Savard recorded 22G-74A-96PTS totals on a team that was really, really, really bad.
Oddly enough, that season (2006-2007) was the last time the B’s finished last in their division — until this past season.
Those two teams weren’t the same, of course: the Savard Bruins team was supposed to be bad and they fit the bill, while last season’s Bruins were supposed to be decent, but were ultimately a disaster.
My point, if I have one, is that Pastrnak’s individual season in the midst of last season’s team-wide calamity was extremely impressive, and probably deserves more plaudits than it received.
I think there’s an argument to be made that Pastrnak should have been a Hart finalist if you truly stick to the “most important to their team” logic, but he was never going to get a shout after such a bad year for the team.
Still, tied for third in the league in points (with Leon Draisaitl, of all people) is a remarkable achievement.
Pastrnak didn’t front-load his stats before the fire sale either.
In fact, he had a somewhat slow start and a hot finish: Pastrnak recorded 11 goals and 17 assists after the trade deadline.
To save you the time and sum up the rambling above: he was the Bruins best player last season.
What’s ahead in 2025-2026?
There are a few players who you could tab as “key contributors” to whatever success may look like for this year’s Bruins: Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, Jeremy Swayman, maybe even Elias Lindholm are among them.
But I have a hard time believing any of those guys will embody “as goes Player X, so go the Bruins” as much as Pastrnak.
If you look at the current roster, this collection of players doesn’t scream “high-octane offense.”
Aside from Morgan Geekie, Pastrnak is the only player who eclipsed 20 goals last season — and it’s worth remembering Geekie did that in a career year, so it might not be the smartest bet to count on 30+ from him again this season.
The Bruins will undoubtedly be hoping for a better year for Lindholm, some scoring punch from Viktor Arvidsson, a stronger year from Pavel Zacha, etc.
However, Pastrnak is probably the only reliable scorer on the roster. If the Bruins don’t get another “ho hum, 40-60-100” season out of him, things will probably be pretty ugly.
(Side note: it’s funny how quickly we take for granted the fact that Pastrnak has recorded 40+ goals four seasons in a row and 50+ assists three seasons in a row.)
In addition, the Bruins will need Pastrnak to continue to step up in the leadership department. In my view, he proved himself a more-than-capable leader last season, especially down the stretch.
So…yeah. No pressure, David. 40 goals (50, maybe), 60-something assists…see you in the spring.
Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...l-have-to-carry-the-offense-again-this-season