Don't look now, but Boston Bruins superstar David Pastrnak will be entering his 13th NHL season when training camp begins next month at Warrior Ice Arena. Drafted 25th overall in the first round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, Pastrnak played in 46 games his first season as a pro with 10 goals and 17 assists.
Since that season, well, as they say, the rest is history. There might be some debate as to whether or not he is going to be in the Hall of Fame long after his career ends, but it might not be as big of a given as some think, according to The Athletic.
David Pastrnak's Hall of Fame case is not a slam dunk
Peter Baugh and Max Bultman of The Athletic released their Hockey Hall of Fame tiers, and Pastrnak was placed in the "On track" tier. Joining him in that group are Jack Eichel, Mithcer Marner, Quinn Hughes, Mikko Rantanen, Matthew Tkachuk, and Zach Werenski. Out of all of those players, Pastrnak is the oldest at 30 years old.
"A year from now, though, it’s likely we’ll be talking about Pastrňák already being in the 1,000-point club and a six-time All-Star. That alone might be enough; a Cup or another major individual award would really put it over the top,'' The Athletic wrote.
Entering the 2026-27 season, Pastrnak has 420 goals and 933 assists. Unless an injury occurs, he should crack the 1,000-point plateau this upcoming season. Pastrnak has one Rocket Richard Award on his résumé, but according to Baugh and Bultman, winning a Stanley Cup or major award might be good enough to get him in.
The Stanley Cup opportunity was there in 2019 and potentially in 2023, but a Game 7 loss to the St. Louis Blues seven years ago was gut-wrenching, as was blowing a 3-1 series lead to the Florida Panthers four years later.
Pastrnak is still in his prime, but it doesn't feel like the Black and Gold are anywhere close to being a contender. Pastrnak's window might not close soon, but fans hope that his two best chances at raising the Stanley Cup have already passed him by.
Truth be told, if Pastrnak continues to put up numbers the way he has been, well, it would be very difficult to keep him out of the Hall of Fame without a Cup, should he not win one. He has been and will be one of teh top players in the league, and given what he has done so far and projecting what he could do in his prime, keeping him out would seem foolish.
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