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Boston Bruins: David Pastrnak Set For Breakout Year

By Evan Marinofsky

Mar 10, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) skates past the bench after scoring a goal on Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward (not pictured) during the third period at TD Garden. The Carolina Hurricanes won 3-2 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 10, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) skates past the bench after scoring a goal on Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward (not pictured) during the third period at TD Garden. The Carolina Hurricanes won 3-2 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /
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Boston Bruins: David Pastrnak Set For Breakout Year In Third NHL Season

The Player Development system for the Boston Bruins is bad on a good day. I can name off a list of players off the top of my head who the Bruins just couldn’t handle as young stars. Phil Kessel, Dougie Hamilton, Tyler Seguin, Reilly Smith, and Blake Wheeler all come to mind immediately.

What all five of those players have in common is that none of them lasted longer than three years in Boston and had metaphorical leashes shorter than you’d give a three year old child at Disney World.

With all of the quick exits the Bruins gave some of their best young players, one has to believe that at some point, they’re going to become much more patient and learn to develop their young, skillful players the correct way.The right way happens to include NOT trading them after you deem their defensive zone-play “sub-par”.

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The time for that is now.

The Bruins have a potential superstar in their hands with David Pastrnak. He is the Bruins’ poster boy for where the league is headed, which is a much more skill- and speed-based game, and the Bruins need to give him the necessary timeframe to develop into the player we all know he’s capable of being.

In just 97 games played over 2 seasons, Pastrnak has a total of 25 goals and 28 assists. And even with the depleted defense behind him, he still managed a +12 in 2014-15 and a +3 in 15-16.

His shot is absolutely filthy and he’s arguably the most skilled player on the team. Just look at this snipe on Cam Ward.

The water bottle exploded. 

The Bruins have to be patient with him for a number of reasons; the first being that they have no other right wings. Yeah, they have Jimmy Hayes but he’s not going to produce any points or go anywhere near the top two lines. Lee Stempniak is a pending-free agent and could be re-signed. But after a surprise 51-point campaign last year, he’s not going to be cheap. After that, there’s really nobody else on the right wing. Brett Connolly is another pending-free agent, but doesn’t add much on the offensive side of things so hopefully the Bruins finally cut ties with the disappointing former-sixth overall draft pick.

There are right-wingers in Providence who seem ready for Causeway Street such as Seth Griffith, but don’t expect him or anyone else from the AHL to come in and make an impact as big as what Pastrnak’s could, and should be this year.

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The second reason to be patient with him is to prove that their Player Development system actually works and is heading in the right direction. As stated earlier, they haven’t proved themselves in the slightest with regards to it, so expect them to keep Pastrnak through the ups and the downs. He just needs time, and hopefully, that time is now.

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