( Photo Credit: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images )

By: Ryan Bosworth | Follow me on Twitter / X @RyanJBosworth

There’s no denying it: David Pastrnak has been a force for the Boston Bruins this season. In a season where almost nothing is going Boston’s way, Pastrnak has been one constant for the struggling club, despite getting off to a bit of a slow start. Posting 34-48-82 numbers through 67 games played so far this season, 42 points ahead of Pavel Zacha, the team’s next-highest scorer, Pastrnak sits at fifth in the league in points, and he sits tied for fourth in goals, as he’s found the net 34 times this season.

In terms of point production, Pastrnak is certainly Boston’s most valuable player. Without him and his point production, Boston would be in a much different position in the standings. However, there’s more to David Pastrnak’s case for the Hart Trophy than valuable point production on an offensively lacking team. There’s a leadership role being assumed by Pastrnak that the Bruins were desperate for.

Pastrnak’s elevated leadership role took full swing following General Manager Don Sweeney’s decision to trade Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers, not long after trading Charlie Coyle to Colorado and Brandon Carlo to Toronto, both of whom were wearing alternate captain ‘A’s. Charlie McAvoy, Pastrnak’s alternate captain counterpart, is also sidelined with a potential season-ending injury.

With all of the Bruin’s leadership core either traded or injured, Pastrnak knew he needed to step up. This team was desperate for it, and the Czech native has been taking his new role in strideā€”almost making it look too easy. He has the right mindset for this season while also having an outlook toward building for the future and setting a standard for how Bruins hockey is meant to be played.

The Bruins winger was asked about a potential captaincy following Boston’s 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers, and he stated, “We have 17 games left, and that’s been my main focus, to build on those two games. We played pretty good hockey, and you know, this has to be our standard for the rest of the season, and see where it takes us.” That’s exactly what you want to hear from your leaders within the locker room.

According to the NHL Records description of the Hart Memorial Trophy, the award “is presented annually ‘to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team.” When pairing his impressive offensive ability this season with his elevated leadership role in the Bruins’ locker room, along with the way he’s been handling both workloads, he has continuously added to the reasons why his name should be in the mix of those being considered for the Hart Trophy. Awarded to the “most valuable player to his team,” Pastrnak fits into that category better than almost anyone else.