Any Boston Bruins fan can ask questions about some of Don Sweeney's decision-making with the bottom of his lineup and the contracts he hands out. However, the Bruins are never really in trouble with the salary cap because of the top players' culture of giving the organization team-friendly discounts. Bruins fans know that David Pastrnak is underpaid relative to his value, and the NHL Network only confirmed that fact with their recent rankings.
Introducing NHL Network's list of the Top 20 Wings Right Now! #NHLTopPlayers pic.twitter.com/UknQLJfkbp
— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) August 3, 2026
The NHL Network listed Pastrnak as the second-best winger in the league, which is hard to argue after Nikita Kucherov's second Hart Trophy win this past season. Many hockey fans and pundits argued that Pastrnak deserved more MVP love after his performance this season, but Kucherov was the deserving winner after his offensive outburst to end the season and lead the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Kirill Kaprizov, Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen, and Kyle Connor are all making more money annually than Pastrnak. They rank 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 11th on this list, respectively. Pastrnak isn't far behind most of these players in AAV, with Kaprizov's massive deal being the exception, but the Bruins' superstar being viewed better than all of these wingers while being paid less is bittersweet for Boston fans.
On the one hand, it shows that Pastrnak is paying off the deal and giving the Bruins a ton of value for a team that needs a superstar. He finished sixth in Hart Trophy voting, and no one is arguing that he is one of the most valuable players to their team in the league. Without Pastrnak, it'd be hard to imagine where Boston would be right now as an organization.
The problem is that this list shows a glaring problem for the Bruins. They have one of the top two wingers in the league on a great value deal. Unfortunately, Sweeney hasn't done enough to surround his star with enough talent, and the winger is starting to realize that point. The Bruins may never have a player of this caliber on such a good deal ever again, and it is time for the front office to make the most of it.
Adding JJ Peterka to the roster is a start, but it's unlikely to be enough after seeing how far they were still away in the postseason.
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