BOSTON — Rookie forward David Pastrnak has made quite an impression during his brief Bruins career.
Thursday night’s matchup against the New York Rangers at TD Garden will be Pastrnak’s ninth of the campaign. If he plays in 10 games, the first year of his entry-level contract goes into effect this season.
So the Bruins have a decision to make before Saturday’s game: They can keep Pastrnak in Boston and burn the first year of his ELC, or send him back to Providence for further development in the AHL.
Even though Pastrnak has played a huge factor in Boston’s last two wins with back-to-back two-goal efforts, Bruins head coach Claude Julien said after Thursday’s morning skate that the evaluation process with the 18-year-old winger is ongoing.
“I think we’re going to stay on course here,” Julien said. “Over a week ago, we talked about evaluating ourselves every day and every game, but I don’t think that’s changed. We evaluate every player, so whether that weighs in on the decision or not, I’m not saying that, but is (Pastrnak) being evaluated? Yeah, like all the other players are.”
Two of the most important factors in the decision are figuring out how best to aid Pastrnak’s development while also considering the team’s needs.
The Bruins have needed a first-line right winger with a right-handed shot who can score goals ever since the summer, when veteran Jarome Iginla left as a free agent. Pastrnak’s offensive skills have been on full display in the last week, and none of the other B’s wingers, with the possible exception of Brad Marchand, possess a similar combination of goal-scoring ability and speed.
At the same time, rushing prospects and putting them into important roles before they’re fully ready has the potential to negatively impact their development. These factors make the decision more difficult than it might seem. Pastrnak is one of just four players from the 2014 draft who’ve played this season —Â Florida’s Aaron Ekblad, Buffalo’s Sam Reinhart and Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl are the others.
“Both, his development and for the team,” Julien said when asked if the decision is based on what’s best for Pastrnak’s development. “More importantly, this player is going to be an important player to our organization, I think we all feel that way. So you just have to make sure that whatever decision is made, whenever it’s made, you hope it’s going to be the right one.
“I can stand here and tell you that he’s made unbelievable strides since the beginning of the year. Offensively, we’ve seen what he can bring, the skill set, the speed that he’s got. We’ve also seen how good he’s become at playing without the puck. Coming back to positions and really playing the North American style of game. He’s really learned this game real quickly, and you’ve got to give him credit for that. … He’s certainly made a strong case for himself, but I’m not the one who’s going to stand here and give you an answer whether he’s here or not, that’s not my job.”
Expectations are high in Boston despite early season struggles. The Bruins have won four consecutive games, have earned points from their last eight and are trending in the right direction as the All-Star break nears.
For a Bruins team capable of making a deep playoff run in a winnable Eastern Conference, keeping Pastrnak on the team long term is the right choice.
Thumbnail photo via Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports Images
