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Two players from each position who must be successful

By Zander Manning

NEWARK, NJ - OCTOBER 03: Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery behind the bench during the game against the New Jersey Devils on October 3, 2022 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ - OCTOBER 03: Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery behind the bench during the game against the New Jersey Devils on October 3, 2022 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Getty Images) /
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Forwards that must be successful: Pavel Zacha, Jake DeBrusk

I know what a lot of you are thinking: “wait, what about David Pastrnak?” Yes, it’s true, Pastrnak does need to be a vital piece of the offense, but after putting up career-high numbers, it’s no secret that he’ll be a big piece of it, no matter what.

As the team’s leading point-getter in last season, Pastrnak is poised for another big season. Though he won’t be playing with Patrice Bergeron this year, his speed, agility, and other intangibles make him a tough player to stop on the wings, no matter who he is playing with.

Pavel Zacha, 2023 stats (82 games): 21 goals, 36 assists (57 pts)
Pavel Zacha is one of the biggest pieces of the offense, and is poised to play a larger role this season after being limited to third-line wing duties for the most part in 2022-23.

This year, however, he is most likely going to be thrown into a larger role as one of the top, if not the top, centers in the lineup. With the departures of Bergeron and David Krejci, he and Charlie Coyle are likely to be featured as the top-two centers.

Zacha will have to build on his numbers from last year where he set career-highs in all statistical categories. In order for Boston to be successful, he’ll need to match, if not exceed these numbers. With potentially more touches coming his way, it shouldn’t be an issue.

Jake DeBrusk, 2023 stats (64 games): 27 goals, 23 assists (50 pts)
Going into the 2023-24 season, Jake DeBrusk is going to have to be a big factor for the offense. With him being poised to have a career-season if he stays healthy, and a desire to stay with the Bruins past the upcoming season.

As I wrote earlier this offseason, DeBrusk is definitely due for an extension, especially after the numbers he put up last year. Despite playing the third-lowest games in any season he has played (taking the Covid-shortened 2020-21 season out of the equation), he set a career-high in goals with 27, and set another in points with 50.

DeBrusk will likely play a larger role, and will likely flank either Zacha or Coyle – adding more scoring to the Bruins’ attack. In order for Boston to be successful, they will need DeBrusk to both stay healthy and continue to play the way he did last year, if not play better.

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