Bruins Naming David Pastrnak Captain Should Be a Given

Pastrnak has worn only one uniform in the NHL: the Bruins. He was drafted 25th overall in 2014 and made his NHL debut during the 2014-15 season. His tenure as a Bruin has been impressive, suiting up for 833 games in the league, recording 933 points (420 goals, 513 assists).

When the postseason arrives, it doesn’t mean Pastrnak quits performing either, scoring at almost a point-per-game pace in his career at 94 points (42 goals, 52 assists) in 96 games.

His leadership skills have shown this past season, with an outburst of emotion as he took his teammates to task for failing to play their game against the Buffalo Sabres in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs this past March.

After the first period, the Sabres were leading the Bruins 4-0 here.

Nobody showed the fck up. […] Wake the fck up. – David Pastrnak.

As a player whose exceeded expectations on the ice, he knows what the organization wants out of players. His ability to be the Bruins’ No. 1 forward provides him privileges both on and off the ice, as he can be the representative of the players in the locker room and help echo edicts from the front office and coaches’ room in order to streamline communications between the two parties.

He’s worn the “A” alternate-captain’s patch since 2021-22, which gives weight to the burden of responsibility he’d have to shoulder.

The footage above shows he’s more than ready to hold his teammates accountable and wake them up when they’re not showing signs of life.

Give David Pastrnak The Captaincy

Pastrnak played 77 games last season, with an average time on ice of 20:39 per game, scoring 29 goals and 100 points.

Pastrnak plays top minutes every night, on the first line. A play driver and sniper who plays the game with passion and imbues the team with purpose every night. The evidence is seen above. His resume is impressive, recording 900-plus career points (the sixth to do so in Bruins history).

Pastrnak’s loyalty to the team shouldn’t be dismissed after signing an eight-year, $11.25 million average annual value extension in 2023 to stay in the black-and-gold. With four years left on the contract, he can still make an impact while he’s still here as a leader.

General manager Don Sweeney and president Cam Neely need to stop whiffing answers with a fanbase that they’ve already earned distrust from. Reward them and name Pastrnak captain.