It'd be quite the reward for the Boston Bruins organization if Fraser Minten found some early chemistry with David Pastrnak and JJ Peterka. The Bruins hope that Minten eventually becomes a top-six center for them, and he didn't look out of place last season when he had to fill in at times. However, trusting him to go there and stay for an entire sophomore season is a lofty goal.
All projections place Pavel Zacha in the middle of Pastrnak and Peterka to form an all-European first line. The only problem is that Pastrnak and Zacha don't necessarily have to play together, despite all their international success. If they split the pair up, it would make the second line have a bit more depth and include a mix of veterans and younger players.
Zacha had a career-high 65 points last season on a line with Viktor Arvidsson and Casey Mittelstadt. He would definitely be seeing an upgrade in linemates on a line with Peterka and Pastrnak, but there could be something said for a second line of Zacha, James Hagens, and Morgan Geekie.
If Hagens makes the team, you'll want him on a scoring line with veteran players who can help him avoid getting overwhelmed by some of the deficiencies in his game. Geekie isn't winning any Selke Trophies anytime soon, but with Hagens as the offensively skilled guy, Geekie as the finisher, and Zacha as the two-way presence, the second line could have success.
Fraser Minten's success with David Pastrnak in 2025-26
Minten and Pastrnak didn't play a ton of hockey together last season, but the Bruins' superstar made the rookie look good on several occasions when they did. In 288 five-on-five minutes over the course of the season, the pair combined for all positive advanced analytics and outscored their opponents 22-7. It'd be intriguing to see how they would look over an entire year.
This depth in the top six also allows the Bruins to keep Elias Lindholm and even Casey Mittelstadt on the third line, where they might be a bit overpaid, but if the team has no choice but to keep them, they should win more of their line battles in that kind of role. Lindholm struggled in the top six last season, but he didn't fare too badly in his time centering the third line.
The Bruins internally might be thinking about a first line of Zacha, Pastrnak, and Peterka, but the hope is that Minten will at least give them something to think about.
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