Pastrnak on leading edge
RW’s skill, work ethic shine
Pretty much every day the Bruins practiced last season, David Pastrnak was the first player on the ice, taking shots and getting loose before even the greenest rookies left the dressing room.
“I dress really fast. So sometimes I do it too early I guess, I don’t know,” Pastrnak recently said, kiddingly.
Jokes aside, Pastrnak’s willingness to put in the extra work, even while on his way to finishing second on the Bruins in goals scored (34) and points (70) last season, was a manifestation of what’s driven him to be one the best under-25 players in the NHL, and a player the Bruins were willing to sign for six years and $40 million despite being just 21.
The Bruins have had trouble retaining their highly regarded young players over the past decade. Although the circumstances were different in each case, Phil Kessel, Tyler Seguin and Dougie Hamilton each were moved to other teams instead of becoming Bruins cornerstones. With Pastrnak, the Bruins’ first-round pick (No. 25 overall) in 2014, the circumstances were different because both sides wanted to continue the relationship.
Although it took the entire offseason, the Bruins were able to get Pastrnak to re-sign last month, and in the process they not only retained a blossoming star but also sent a message that they’re committed to the team’s young core.
“I certainly hope that’s a message that some of the other players have seen,” Bruins president Cam Neely said. “We do value David and what he brought to our club and what he’s going to bring to our club. And we feel he’s only going to get better.”
How much better the 6-foot, 181-pound right winger gets will determine whether the new contract was prudent, as owner Jeremy Jacobs described it, and whether he can be a catalyst for the Bruins becoming an elite team again. Right off the hop, the team need not worry about Pastrnak shying away from his leading role in the resurgence.
“I want to be a star player on this team,” he said. “I have some work to do, and I want to go for it, and every year get better every day.”
Putting in the work
Although he’s put on muscle and grown since he joined the Bruins in 2014 at age 18, Pastrnak doesn’t yet strike an intimidating figure. So while his ability to fly up the ice at warp speed isn’t a surprise, the velocity and violence with which his slap shot comes off his stick can be shocking. It’s not only hard, but has movement, similar to a high-90s fastball whipped toward home plate.
Goaltender Tuukka Rask compares Pastrnak’s shot to some of the league’s current greats, including Washington’s Alex Ovechkin and Winnipeg’s Patrik Laine.
“But (Pastrnak) can shoot from a bad position too, so that helps a lot,” Rask said.
Amazingly, Pastrnak doesn’t fit the mold of a guy who spent his summers shooting pucks against the garage door. He said all he did in summer was play street hockey with an orange ball, and he saw his shot steadily improve. The ability to surprise goaltenders with shots from odd angles is something that’s come with practice and continues to be one of his focuses.
Pastrnak has also been dedicated to making himself a better defensive player. That devotion improved his two-way game to the point where even then-coach Claude Julien was willing to put Pastrnak on the Bruins’ top line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.
It’s difficult to become a dominant player in the NHL playing on the wing, but Blackhawks star Patrick Kane, a three-time Stanley Cup winner, has proven it’s not impossible. That’s the prototype for Pastrnak, and he knows it.
“He doesn’t force plays, he holds the puck, he builds his confidence during the game because he’s on the puck so much,” Pastrnak said of Kane. “I want to be on the puck that much even though it’s tough as a winger. But he’s definitely a guy that I want to be like.”
Star qualities
Pastrnak has the mentality of a star to go with the skills, according to NESN and NHL Network analyst Billy Jaffe.
“He has kind of a carefree attitude, an ability to love the game always. It never seems like it’s pressure for him,” Jaffe said. “And I think that’s something that the best players have.”
That star quality resonates beyond the rink, where he’s endearing to teammates and fans alike, usually sporting a moptop of hair and a toothy (or partial-toothy) grin. He’s already gone international, as his representatives at CAA Sports signed an endorsement deal with ORG Packaging in China (possibly a first for a hockey player in the world’s most populous nation). Pastrnak has traveled to China twice with the Bruins as part of the team’s relationship with ORG.
Despite his face appearing on the side of condensed milk cans there, Pastrnak said people didn’t stop him in the street.
“I’m pretty sure they will in a couple years; they drink up that milk,” he said.
If the Chinese aren’t quick to recognize him, he does have a unique opportunity to emerge as the face of the Bruins and a fan favorite.
“He’s a good kid and, yeah, I do think there’s a real opportunity for him to carve out an image for himself in Boston,” Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs said.
That image will only become ensconced in Boston’s hierarchy of stars if Pastrnak’s combination of skill and attitude help lift the Bruins back into the Stanley Cup discussion.