David Pastrnak isn’t focused on Bruins’ vacant captaincy

Bruins

“The role changed a little bit, you lead more. But you just try to stay being yourself.”

The Bruins’ actions during Friday’s NHL trade deadline did more than uproot several key cogs on Boston’s depth chart.

It also overhauled Boston’s leadership hierarchy, with Brad Marchand’s trade to Florida making him the first Bruins captain dealt since Joe Thornton in November 2005. 

Beyond Marchand’s seniority as a 16-year NHL vet with a Stanley Cup on his resume, both Charlie Coyle and Brandon Carlo donned the “A” on their sweaters at times as the next tier of leadership. 

As the Bruins pick up the pieces and chart out their retool moving forward, Don Sweeney acknowledged on Friday that the onus now falls on a next generation of Bruins stars to pave the path ahead.

“I mean, we have to be very realistic and honest with ourselves to say — okay, we’ve sort of shaken up the leadership part of what this group has been and how it’s grown along,” Sweeney said Friday. “ We’ve done that. Now we have to be hellbent on finding the people that can complement that.”

While Sweeney and his staff look to further augment a roster in transition, the weight of leading this reworked dressing room now falls on David Pastrnak, now anointed as the longest-tenured Bruin. 

“The work ethic and the compete level has to be high,” Pastrnak said of the expectations in place for this roster moving forward. “And I thought it was high. It’s a tough game, quick turnaround in Tampa, and the compete level was there. 

“We played fast, we played for each other, very pulled-in as a group. After the last game, I was very proud of the group, the way we played in Tampa. And that’s the recipe for the rest of the year. We’re gonna have to play like that every single game and see where it takes us. We’re never gonna lose hope, and we’re gonna fight till the end. But also, we are building for something past this season.” 

Beyond Boston’s slim odds of clinching a playoff berth, the primary focus for the Bruins over their final 17 regular-season games likely revolves around how newcomers like Casey Mittelstadt and prospects like Fraser Minten can grow into elevated roles. 

But these next six weeks will also offer an opportunity for a veteran in Pastrnak to continue to entrench himself as a leader in Boston’s room. 

But even with Pastrnak’s standing as Boston’s most impactful player — as well as one of the few available star talents due to Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm’s injuries — Pastrnak is not focusing on Boston’s vacancy at captain. 

“I don’t think about it, honestly,” Pastrnak said after Monday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena. “I got the ‘A’ and I haven’t changed a bit. The role changed a little bit, you lead more. But you just try to stay being yourself. Right now, we have 17 games left and that’s my main focus to build on. We played pretty good hockey the last two games, and that has to be our standard for the rest of the season.”

While Pastrnak has long led the way for Boston on the ice thanks to his playmaking capabilities (60 points in his last 42 games), interim head coach Joe Sacco believes that Pastrnak’s experience while learning from several former captains has prepared him for this larger role. 

“He’s been fortunate because he’s been here a long time, and he’s played with [Zdeno] Chara, who was a captain. He played with [Patrice Bergeron], who was a captain. He saw Marshy. So I think for David, he’s had the ability to see these guys lead and learn from them,” Sacco said of Pastrnak. “And with some of the other players that we have now who weren’t here — we’re going to see, right? 

“We’re going to see who can take that next step in that role. And we’re not looking for people to be someone that they’re not, right? I think leadership comes internally. You either have it or you don’t. Some people lead by example, some are more vocal, but it’s just an area that we’ll continue to focus on as we move forward here.” 

Pastrnak has grown in several ways since he first arrived in the NHL as an scrawny 18-year-old winger in November 2014. 

But even as he potentially positions to get a “C” stamped on his sweater in 2025, Pastrnak stressed that he isn’t looking to change his approach as a player or how he conducts himself. 

“With all the experience I’ve learned, and from these guys, it’s amazing. And I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunities I had and I got here and the way I grew,” he said. “But at the same time, there’s a reason I got to the position where I’m at. 

“I will never change, no matter if I play NHL or if I’m still the 10-year old kid playing hockey. For me, I don’t want to change because of the position I’m in, how much money I make or stuff like that. So just being myself is one of the most important things in life for me.”