The Bruins, in the course of their one hundred years plus of existence, have had their fair share of all-time talents infused into their lineup at any given point. It began with superstars of the early era, such as Tiny Thompson and Eddie Shore, who set the foundation of what the team's identity would go on to be. Clapper, Bauer, Schmidt, Brimsek, Flaman, and many others would also play pivotal roles in team history as the team approached halfway through the 20th century, leading to the emergence of pillars Bucyk, Esposito, Hodge, Cheevers, Cashman, and, of course, Bobby Orr.
Once the dominance of the Big Bad Bruins of the 1970's had ended, totaling two Stanley Cups in that span, the team was placed in the hands of rock solid defenseman Raymond Bourque, who would cement himself right beside Orr as one of the greatest players in Bruins history, playing with the team for over 20 years before finally capturing a championship in Colorado prior to his retirement. O'Reilly, Park, Neely, Oates, Sweeney, Middleton, and co. would bridge the gap from the late 70s to the 90s, unable, however, to capture another title.
As the 21st Century then came to turn, the renaissance Bruins, following some difficult years in the early 2000's, would again find their cornerstones in the draft with such pieces as Bergeron, Krejci, and later Brad Marchand, as well as offseason additions such as free agent signing Zdeno Chara and trade piece Tuukka Rask, who would all become the faces of the modern Bruins and help the team to again capture another title in 2011.
Now, the year is 2025, and the future of the Bruins appears to be safely in the hands of superstar Czech winger David Pastrnak. Pastrnak, a late first-round pick in the 2014 NHL draft, would emerge very young, joining the team at age eighteen and scoring two goals in his debut.
Since then, Pastrnak has established himself as the premier figurehead of the team following Brad Marchand's departure, consistently putting up the highest point totals on the team alongside all-time great players Patrice Bergeron and the previously mentioned winger. Now, with a potential captaincy consideration looming for this next season, Pastrnak can find himself amongst the best of the best should he keep up his current scoring pace and recognition as one of the best currently in the league.
Pastrnak's Scoring Prowess Can't Be Understated
To put it frankly, Pastrnak is one of, if not the most talented, scorer the team has ever seen in its history. Looking at the all-time lists, Pasta is already seventh in Bruins history in goals with 391, surpassing Cam Neely (344), and is primed to surpass Ray Bourque (395), Rick Middleton (402), Brad Marchand (422), and perhaps even Patrice Bergeron (427) should he maintain his typical scoring pace this upcoming year. That would place him comfortably third on the list, where he would then not be too far behind Phil Esposito (459) for second all-time. Mind you, this is all in only his age thirty season, right in the middle of his prime.
It is very reasonable to say that, when it's all said and done by the end of his current contract, which expires in 2030-2031, that Pastrnak will be marked as the Bruins' all-time leading scorer by a solid margin, surpassing the Chief, Johnny Bucyk himself.
Additionally, Pastrnak finds himself with the eighth most points in team history as well as today. If he puts up another 100-point season this upcoming year, he will jump up to sixth, with potential to then surpass Brad Marchand and Phil Esposito once again to challenge for fourth in the 2026-2027 season, and find himself in the 1000-point club. From there, Bergeron's spot would be in jeopardy for third (1040), and given a few extra years of prime play, even Bucyk could be dethroned at 1339 points.
However, in spite of his well-known scoring capabilities, the fact that he has recently crept into the top ten for all-time assists has flown under the radar.
When it's all said and done, Pastrnak will likely by the end of his career, find himself being the greatest winger in Bruins history, cementing his legacy as a godly shooter and wizard with the puck on his stick, being at the top of nearly every offensive metric in the team's existence.
What a Possible Captaincy Could do for Pastrnak's Legacy
As previously mentioned, former Bruins captain Brad Marchand was traded this past deadline to the Florida Panthers, leaving a gap at the position. It has been speculated that going into this year, the team will not announce an official captain, with new head coach Marco Sturm instead seeing what the current leadership group is all about, including Pastrnak.
If Pasta can secure the spot next year, making him the 28th captain in the team's history, he would join the likes of names such as Bourque, Bucyk, Bergeron, and Schmidt, all of whom were the definitive Bruins of their generation. Pastrnak, without a doubt, is already the face of the franchise from here on out, but with the added 'C' on his chest, it would only reinforce his standing and legacy as the bridge between the golden years of the 2010s and the new iteration of the 2020s and beyond.
All that would remain for him to prove is his ability to bring a team to the Stanley Cup. He's already shown great flashes and moments in the playoffs, including much of the 2019 run. If he could provide Boston with another championship and an image of him donning the 'C' while being the first to raise the cup, it could land him above the likes of Bucyk and Esposito all-time.
Whether he is already definitively a top Bruin of all time is still debated, although, as you can see, the evidence is certainly there throughout his ten-year tenure so far. However, his potential to reach the mountain top with the likes of Bergeron or even an Esposito should be undisputed.