The Boston Bruins have a couple of things that many other NHL franchises would kill for. The first is David Pastrňák. The second is a pretty consistent playoff stretch. The Bruins have made the playoffs nine times in the last 10 seasons. During those 10 seasons, they made it to the Stanley Cup Final once, losing to the St. Louis Blues.
One of the main reasons the team has made the playoffs so regularly these past few years has to do with David Pastrňák. It's clear he's an incredible player, and one player who can help to drag the Bruins into the playoffs nearly every season. The question is, is that really what's best for the Bruins?
The David Pastrnak element remains the key to the Bruins' playoff hopes
David Pastrňák has been making his case for Boston Bruins MVP for much of his NHL career. Since Patrice Bergeron retired and Brad Marchand headed to Florida, Pastrňák has been leading the way in Boston. His 100 points in the 2025-26 season led the team and were over 30 points higher than the second-best Bruin. Pastrňák has led the team in points for four straight seasons and produced over 100 points per season during that time. He's also led all Bruins forwards in ice time since 2022.
Pastrňák has played all 12 years of his NHL career with the Boston Bruins. In that time, the Bruins have only missed the playoffs three times. Two of those seasons were the first two seasons of Pastrňák's career, and in those seasons, he wasn't playing with the club full-time. Since then, the Bruins made the playoffs each season until the 2024-25 season.
In the 2024-25 season, Pastrňák had 50 points more than the nearest Bruins player. It's safe to say that the season's issues were not on Pastrňák. With Pastrňák in fine form, the Bruins should see a playoff berth each season.
Building a Stanley Cup winning team means building around David Pastrnak
Is it worth making the playoffs on a regular basis if that playoff run ends before a Stanley Cup win? That's the question the Bruins may need to ask. In the last 10 seasons, the highest draft pick the Bruins had was seventh overall in 2025. They also selected 14th overall in 2016. Since the NHL rewards worse teams with better draft picks, both picks came from seasons where the Bruins missed the playoffs. These players were Charlie McAvoy and James Hagens.
McAvoy has become a key player in the Bruins lineup since 2017 and has worked his way up to being a top-line defender for the team. In 2025-26, he led all Bruins defenders in goals, assists, and points, despite missing 13 games due to injury. He's regularly trusted with big minutes and made the Olympic team in 2026. He could go down as one of the top Bruins defenders in team history.
Hagens, who has yet to really see time with the Bruins, was a great pickup for the team at seventh overall. He saw some ice time for the Bruins in 2025-26, playing two regular-season games and three playoff games once the NCAA season ended. He had one point in the two regular-season opportunities. The Bruins surely hope he'll become a top-line winger if they can find space for him.
The issue with making the playoffs every season without much to show for it means that the Bruins can never get their hands on a top pick. One plus about missing the playoffs is locking in that early pick. Aside from trading up or picking up a star during free agency, a few seasons of missing the playoffs can do wonders for building a Stanley Cup-winning franchise.
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