By Andrew Bluestein | Follow Me On Twitter @adbblue
Last season, David Pastrnak set a career-high with 61 goals, which was second in the league to only Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers. Pastrnak has established himself as one of the most dangerous players in the league and has developed arguably a top-three shot. That earned him an eight-year $90 million contract extension before the conclusion of last season.
The unanimous question going into last year was, can Pastrnak be as productive without playing on the top line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand? He answered that question with a big statement. But with a different-looking roster for the 2023-24 season, it’s unsure where the 2019-20 co-Rocket Richard trophy winner will be placed in the lineup. So the question going into this season is, can Pastrnak reach the 60-goal mark again?
The Bruins sniper is heading into his 10th NHL season and has solidified himself as an elite goal scorer. From what Pastrnak has shown, it’s safe to say that it doesn’t matter who his linemates are to a certain extent. Returning to the 2016-17 season, Pastrnak has scored at least 34 goals every season except for the 2020-21 shortened COVID year. Now 27 years old, the Havirov, Czechia native is starting to reach full maturity on and off the ice.
With repetition and knowledge under his belt, Pastrnak has reached the point in his career where goal-scoring has become almost automatic. He is one of the few players in the league who is considered dangerous shooting from anywhere in the offensive zone. He also has unbelievable hands, repeatedly showcasing his prestigious stick handling throughout his career.
Last season, Pastrnak played primarily with David Krejci and Pavel Zacha. The line had plenty of success and earned the nickname the “Czech Line” because they were all from Czechia. With Krejci retiring and the chemistry the two built last year, Zacha will undoubtedly be moved to center on the line Pastrnak plays on. Who will play the left wing with them has yet to be established, but head coach Jim Montgomery has options.
With the accord already built between Zacha and Pastrnak, it shouldn’t matter who plays the left wing with the two. The point production should be similar to last season, even without David Krejci. There shouldn’t be much drop-off in goal production either for Pastrnak, who will obviously get significant power-play time.
Pastrnak has scored at least ten power-play goals in six out of his nine seasons, most of which are scored from the faceoff circle. His one-timer is lethal, having arguably the quickest release in the league. That attribute makes him so individually dangerous and allows him to be productive regardless of who he’s on the ice with.
In 592 games played thus far, Pastrnak has scored 301 goals and has been a 30-plus and a 40-plus goal scorer each three times, including last season, scoring 61. The right-winger has established himself as a consistent top-tier goal scorer in the NHL, and not many guys can do it the way he does. Although not likely, especially with the Bruins roster changes in the off-season, David Pastrnak has proved he is capable of reaching the 60-goal mark again.
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