By: Chad Jones | Follow me on Twitter/X @ShutUpChadJones
David Pastrnak has reached multiple significant milestones with the Boston Bruins this week. And the dynamic winger has his eyes set on more accolades as the season chugs along.
Tuesday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pastrnak put on a phenomenal stick-handling display on a clean breakaway and buried his 400th career goal in front of a delighted TD Garden crowd. Each Bruins skater spilled over the boards to congratulate Pastrnak on becoming just the sixth player in franchise history to score 400 goals.
He did not stay at the number for too long, as he has since potted two power play goals to tie Rick Middleton for fifth place on the Bruins’ all-time goal scoring list. His next tally will give him sole possession of the fifth slot.
The only four players who have scored more goals in a Bruins sweater than Pastrnak are Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Phil Esposito, and Johnny Bucyk. With already 11 goals through Boston’s first 20 games, it is possible Pastrnak can end this season as the third most prolific goal scorer in franchise history.
He needs 21 goals to surpass Marchand and 26 goals to eclipse Bergeron. With 62 games remaining in Boston’s season, it is undoubtedly in Pastrnak’s ability to light the lamp that many times the rest of the way. Considering Pastrnak has scored at least 37 goals in six of the past seven seasons, he likely ends the 2026 campaign trailing only Esposito and Bucyk.
For this season, Esposito and certainly Bucyk’s positions are firmer. Pastrnak is 58 goals away from passing Esposito and 144 tucks behind Bucyk, who leads all Bruins skaters with an impressive 545 goals. While it is certainly possible for Pastrnak to surpass Esposito next season, he is years away from Bucyk’s record.
The 29-year-old winger’s current contract has him in Boston through the 2031 season. If he stays healthy and continues to score at this pace, he could easily be the Bruins’ franchise leader in goals scored.
Now, health is always at the forefront when looking at projecting a player’s career accolades. But Pastrnak has been very durable over his time in Boston. He has played all 82 games the past three seasons and has yet to miss a matchup this year.
He has also proven, without a shadow of a doubt, that he can consistently drive a line and put up points regardless of his line mates. While he played for many seasons with Bergeron and Marchand, he has shown for years now that he can spearhead an offensive attack.
While it is not always as simple as plugging in a player’s averages to predict career totals, Pastrnak is well on his way to climbing up the ranks on the Bruins’ all-time goal scoring list. He is still in the prime of his career, very durable, and has proven productive with different linemates.
Pastrnak is already one of the greatest goal scorers in Bruins history. And it will be fascinating to see how many goals he winds up scoring as a member of The Black and Gold.
Pastrnak and the Bruins will take on the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night in Boston. If you want to see Pastrnak’s skills in person at TD Garden, or during the team’s upcoming California road trip, consider using this official StubHub Ticket-affiliated link here for the most competitive concert and sporting event tickets in the North American region.
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