As the calendar counts down to the end of July, it's time for one last look back at the 2023-24 season for the Boston Bruins. Training camp for the 2024-25 season is seven weeks away, but as we enter the month of August in two days, here is a look back at the Black and Gold's Top 5 goal scorers from last season.
5. Jake DeBrusk
The lone player to leave the organization in the Top 5 from last season is Jake DeBrusk, who signed on Day 1 of free agency with the Vancouver Canucks. It wasn't surprising in the least bit that the 14th overall pick in the 2015 Entry Draft left, but his absence is going to be tough to fill with the current cap space situation. It appears that the Bruins are going to go into training camp with Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov as the top choices. His 19 goals were one better than Trent Frederic and two better than Morgan Geekie and Danton Heinen.
4. Pavel Zacha
For the second consecutive season, Pavel Zacha scored 21 goals for the Bruins and this year, it was good enough to be fourth on the team. In his last two seasons with the New Jersey Devils, he combined for 32 goals, but in two seasons in Boston, he now has 42. He'll likely have a good chance to increase above 21 this upcoming season playing in the top-six and if he's with Elias Lindholm and David Pastrnak, it's likely he'll see a new career-high in 2024-25.
3. Charlie Coyle
One of the pleasant surprises last season was Charlie Coyle who scored a career-high 25 goals and eclipsed the 20-goal mark for just the second time in his career, scoring 21 for the Minnesota Wild in 2015-16. Tasked with filling the void left by Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci as a top center on the roster, the Weymouth, Mass. native played better than some thought and produced more than some thought he would.
2. Brad Marchand
It feels like captain Brad Marchand scored more than 29 goals, but he fell one short of another 30-goal season for the Black and Gold. He did go through some tough times at different points in the season where he was snake-bitten scoring, but he continued to battle and played in all 82 games for Jim Montgomery.
1. David Pastrnak
Of course, who else would be No. 1 in goals scored last season for Boston? One year after scoring 61 goals, David Pastrnak fell three shy of a 50-goal season with 47, but it was more than enough to lead the Bruins in goals. He is one of the better goal scorers in the NHL and look for him to push for 50 goals this season if he remains healthy playing alongside Elias Lindholm.