By: Declan Flavin | Follow me on Twitter / X @FlavinDeclan
Since free agency and the draft are now behind us, it’s time to break down the National Hockey League Boston Bruins’ rostered forwards, line by line. We’ll start with the top line: a Morgan Geekie, Elias Lindholm, and David Pastrnak unit that brings promise but also a degree of unpredictability.
This trio offers a compelling mix of high-end skill and hockey IQ. On paper, it’s exactly what you’d want in a top line. Still, consistent production will be the true test. For this line to click, each player needs to push through individual challenges, whether that’s setting new personal bests, staying healthy, or rebounding from past setbacks.
Geekie enters the 2024–25 season coming off a career year, recording 33 goals and 24 assists. Expectations are now higher. That pressure isn’t easy to carry, but playing alongside a world-class talent like Pastrnak may help Geekie maintain or even exceed that level of production.
What makes Geekie such a valuable piece isn’t just his scoring. His awareness, physicality, and team-first mentality are qualities that have driven his growth. Those intangible elements are what could help him anchor this top unit and elevate the group as a whole.
Lindholm’s season last year was marked by inconsistency and poor health, finishing with 17 goals and 30 assists. While never officially confirmed, his back injury at the start of the 2024–25 league year clearly held him back. More broadly, his overall play has trended toward steady rather than standout compared to his breakout season with the Calgary Flames in 2021–22.
Even so, Lindholm continues to show strong potential in the areas he can control. His two-way awareness and intelligent positioning remain reliable strengths. Now fully healthy, he’ll need to match the pace of a more aggressive forecheck and help generate higher-quality chances through his line’s puck movement.
Pastrnak delivered as expected last season, posting 43 goals and 63 assists. For a player of his caliber, the priority heading into any season is staying healthy. With the Bruins needing more consistent finishing, a goal-focused campaign from Pastrnak could make a major difference.
How head coach Marco Sturm chooses to deploy him on the power play will be a key factor in his overall production. If Pastrnak continues to get frequent shots on net, it should create a steady flow of opportunities for both himself and his linemates.
Having a responsible winger and center alongside Pastrnak gives this line real potential to lead the way. Still, no matter how capable the players are, production relies on two things: staying healthy and finishing chances. If Pastrnak remains healthy, the work put in by Geekie and Lindholm could give this group a real opportunity to deliver.
This line is almost certain to play the right way, setting a tone with effort and detail. Their intangible strengths could serve as an example for the rest of the lineup. If they carry over any chemistry from last season, the buzz around their combined skill set will only continue to build.
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