James Guillory-Imagn Images

David Pastrnak Makes Surprising Comments on Possibly Replacing Brad Marchand as Bruins Captain

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Tom Banks | Last updated Mar 11, 2025 10:56 AM ET

David Pastrnak is the obvious choice to replace Brad Marchand as Boston Bruins captain, but now he's made some surprise comments on his desire to take the role.

After a very busy deadline, the Boston Bruins have now moved Charlie Coyle, Trent Frederic, Brandon Carlo and of course, Brad Marchand, leaving very few familiar faces on their current roster.

On top of that, No. 63 was the captain that carried on the legacy from Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron, and now, there's likely just two options to take the role next; David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy.

While many expect Pastrnak, who has been a Boston Bruin since 2014/15 to simply step in and take over the role, when he was asked about it, he revealed that he's not thinking about it at all with the 2024/25 season still going.

'I (haven't thought) about it honestly. I got the A and I haven't changed a bit. Obviously the role changes a 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 those two games. We played pretty good hockey, the last two in a win in Tampa and a painful loss in Carolina. This has to be our standard for the rest of the season and we'll see where it takes us.'

On top of all this, General Manager Don Sweeney has noted that the team won't name a captain for the remainder of this season, leaving open the possibility of the team not naming one for 2025/26 either as they look to solidify their roster moving forward.

Ultimately, Pastrnak would be a very popular choice for captain, as would McAvoy, who is currently injured and not as much of a focal point in Boston, but after such a rich history of captaincy in Boston, the team will need to be very careful when they select the next player to wear the C.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: