Two years after being drafted, it’s hard to imagine how David Pastrnak fell to the Boston Bruins in the first round.
Twenty-three teams passed on him in the 2014 draft, including the Vancouver Canucks twice, allowing the Bruins to select the small, speedy, highly skilled right winger at No. 25, just before the Montreal Canadiens’ pick.
The 20-year-old forward has developed into one of the NHL’s best young forwards with 15 goals in 21 games, which ranks third in the league, one behind Sidney Crosby and two back of Patrik Laine entering Wednesday’s games. Pastrnak’s 15 already tied his career high — with 56 games remaining in the season.
Pastrnak also has six assists, giving him 21 points in as many games. It’s not unrealistic to think he could finish near a point-per-game scoring rate by season’s end, especially playing on a dominant puck possession line with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron.
Will Pastrnak continue to shoot at 21.1 percent for the entire season? Probably not, but even if his percentage dips, his goal pace should remain fairly similar given how much he shoots.
Pastrnak ranks among the best puck-possession players in the league with a 61.49 Corsi For percentage at 5-on-5 play (third-best in the league). Of course, that number is a bit inflated because his linemates rank No. 1 and No. 2 in that stat, but Pastrnak does contribute to it quite a bit with his 71 shots on goal (third-most on the B’s).
He’s also a solid power-play contributor with a team-high five points (four goals, one assist), but it’s not like he’s just dining out on the man advantage, either. Pastrnak’s nine 5-on-5 goals are tied for the fourth-most in the league, and his 1.85 goals per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play ranks fourth.
“He’s made big steps since last year and he’s playing with a lot of confidence,” Bruins captain Zdeno Chara said Monday night, per BostonBruins.com.
“I think it obviously helps to have guys like Patrice (Bergeron) and Brad (Marchand) on the same line. They’re finding a lot of chemistry … you see that when he has the puck, he’s a dangerous player. When he’s skating and moving his feet, he’s going to make something happen, probably.”
In addition to stats, the eye test also paints a pretty good picture of Pasta’s elite skill.
A great example came Monday night on his overtime winner against Florida Panthers star goalie Roberto Luongo. Pastrnak maneuvered past an opponent with incredible ease, then deked Luongo before roofing the puck.
Pastrnak’s improvement couldn’t have come at a better time for the Bruins, who have struggled offensively throughout the season (23rd in goals scored per game) and have scored 3-plus goals in just eight of 26 games. His 15 goals are more than twice as many as the team’s next-highest scorer.
Aside from goalie Tuukka Rask, Pastrnak has been Boston’s most valuable player. More importantly, he’s showing the consistency that sometimes was lacking earlier in his career.
His skill, speed and point production has been phenomenal, and it’s time he’s finally mentioned in the same breath as the league’s other young stars.
Thumbnail photo via Bruce Fedyck/USA TODAY Sports Images
