Is there any player in the NHL more valuable to their team than David Pastrnak? Boston Bruins fans are watching Macklin Celebrini get all kinds of love for what he is doing for the San Jose Sharks, but it isn't much different than what's happening in their own barn. Celebrini's case might be a bit more impressive considering he is a second-year player and only 19 years old, but Pastrnak is too low on the Hart Trophy odds.
Nathan MacKinnon is running away with it as a -310 favorite on the Fanduel Sportsbook. Celebrini is second at +330, and Connor McDavid is right behind him with +490. Nikita Kucherov, Ilya Sorokin, Leon Draisaitl, and Kirill Kaprizov are next in line, before a logjam of players at +50000, which is where Pastrnak falls.
There are too many to name them all, but he is on the same level as players like JJ Peterka, Timo Meier, Igor Shesterkin (who could be out for the rest of the year and was playing on one of the league's worst teams), and Logan Stankoven, to name a few.
In what world is Pastrnak on the same level as those players? Pastrnak has 19 more points than the next closest Bruin, 19 points in his last 10 games with Boston rolling and getting back into a playoff spot, and is helping the Bruins sit in a playoff spot in a year where most expected them to be back in the lottery.
Pastrnak has been able to elevate any player on the roster, helping the Bruins get an offensive boost. Put him on a line with Fraser Minten, the rookie will score a goal, put him on a line with Marat Khusnutdinov, he starts to look like Brad Marchand, put him on a line with Morgan Geekie, he'll break a 12-game goalless drought.
"The Hart Memorial Trophy is an annual award given to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team."
If going by the spirit of the rule, Pastrnak should at least be in the top-five of the award voting. If not, people aren't watching the Bruins enough.