It has been almost one and a half months since David Pastrnak played in a game for the Boston Bruins and, chances are, it’ll be a full two months before we see him on NHL ice again. Of course, it would be nice for him to be on the team during the Winter Classic on January 1st against the Montreal Canadiens, but the most important thing is to ensure that the foot injury that Pastrnak has does not get worse and only gets better.
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David Pastrnak has begun skating alone but has yet to be cleared for contact or even to skate with the rest of the team. When Pastrnak is ready to hit the ice again, many speculate that he will first go on a conditioning stint with the Providence Bruins in the AHL.
Clearly, the Bruins don’t want to rush Pastrnak back to the NHL for health reasons, but the decision is a little easier when the Bruins forwards are playing as well as they are. When looking at the Boston Bruins offensive lines, it would almost be bad news for Pastrnak to return and replace someone.
Oct 10, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins left wing David Pastrnak (88) and Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin (74) chase the puck in the corner during the third period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Patrice Bergeron, Loui Eriksson, David Krejci and Brad Marchand have excelled in their positions and as leaders on the ice this year. Brett Connolly, Matt Beleskey, Zac Rinaldo and Jimmy Hayes have all fit in nicely with their new team and their new roles. Frank Vatrano, Landon Ferarro, Tyler Randell and Ryan Spooner have brought youth and speed to the line up. This mixture of longtime Bruins, new Bruins and new NHL players has Boston going into every game with weapons for any given situation.
Puck Prose
So, where does that leave David Pastrnak? Ideally, he was to play with fellow Czech teammate, David Krejci, with either Eriksson or Beleskey on the left side. However, Coach Claude Julien has been very active in his line switching, especially with the injuries that the team has had to deal with.
It would seem that Frank Vatrano was the player who, for lack of a better word, replaced Pastrnak when he got injured. Vatrano has been a very pleasant surprise and has stayed up with the big club ever since he got called up. If Vatrano can continue to play a convincing NHL role game in and game out, the coaching staff may have to cut someone else from the team to make room for David Pastrnak.
Like many coaches say, having too many good players is a good problem to have. However, a problem it remains and is one that will need to be solved without ruining the offensive chemistry that has developed among the forwards. David Pastrnak is valuable member of this Bruins team, but as long as Boston can continue to put the puck in the net at the pace they are, there is absolutely no need to bring David Pastrnak back until he is more than completely ready in every aspect of the word.
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