Imagine being told at the start of the season that Pavel Zacha was going to score 30 goals, reach a new career-high in points, but never play on a line with David Pastrnak throughout the entire year. It felt inevitable that the Czech national players would eventually team up, and Pastrnak has a history of getting people career years (ask Morgan Geekie). So, the fact that Zacha is doing this without him is just another testament to his growth since joining the Boston Bruins.
The Bruins were going to need another line other than Pastrnak's to perform well this season if they were going to make the playoffs. When looking at the roster, it was hard to see if any of the forwards were able to carry a second line, and if they were, Elias Lindholm was likely going to be in the middle of it. However, while making $3 million less per season, Zacha is far and away the better center in this lineup.
The $3 million difference brings up an interesting dilemma with Zacha. He has one more season remaining on that contract, and after his output this season, not a single person would blame him for looking for a massive raise. If he continues that next season, he's going to find a team willing to overpay him, and if history is any indication, that team isn't going to be the Bruins.
So, the Bruins need to make a decision this offseason, and they have to make the right one after overpaying Lindholm. Do they sign Zacha to be the team's No. 2 center as they re-enter a contending window? Do they trade him now to accrue a bunch of assets, in hopes that this season's outburst was just a outlier? Do they look at Lindholm's market instead, and give Zacha a similar number to his to make good on that mistake?
Those are questions Don Sweeney will need to ask at a later date, but for now, Zacha will be one of the main reasons if the Bruins make the playoffs. In the middle of one of the most important stretches of the season for the playoff push, he had five goals, including back-to-back two-goal games against the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets. His most clutch performance was on Sunday, scoring two goals in the final 12 minutes to lead the ferocious comeback.
Pavel Zacha has matched
— Morning Bru with Jaffe & Razor (@MorningBruJandR) March 30, 2026
His career best 59 pts (also in 23/24) He’s averaging 56 in his 4 yrs in BOS. He averaged 30pts per season in NJ (6yrs). New Bru being recorded soon!
Zacha was the NHL's second star of the week, matched his career-high with 59 points, has already blown away his career-high in goals with 28, with his previous being 21, and is one-half of one of the most surprising dynamic duos in recent history with Viktor Arvidsson. Pretty good for the quiet center who fans were making trade proposals for mere months ago.