RW David Pastrnak (2014, 25th overall, Boston)

[CharasInCharge]

I picked him up in my fantasy team. Just praying that the Bruins keep him up now.

I can't take this team seriously if they are going to see this kid producing at the rate he is and the wins we are getting and still send him down

 

[FLpanthers16]

Weird player. Small, not that good skater and not that good shot. Still finds the back of the net, you can't teach knack for a goal scoring. Excited for this kid.

Wait what?

Not a good skater LOL.....

 

[BadBruins]

Weird player. Small, not that good skater and not that good shot. Still finds the back of the net, you can't teach knack for a goal scoring. Excited for this kid.

I guess he's a bit small in terms of weight at 6'0 170lbs (18 years old), but he definitely has plus speed with great edge work (not sure I would ever knock his skating). In that way he's a bit like Skinner. That ability to change gears is lethal as well. Hockey sense and hands are off the charts.

 

[Dellstrom]

Weird player. Small, not that good skater and not that good shot. Still finds the back of the net, you can't teach knack for a goal scoring. Excited for this kid.

...Nope.

2 games in a row he's pretty much won for us. I think he wants to stay. Very exciting player and he's a great kid. He can contribute and there's no reason why he should be sent down. He's not even 170 pounds yet he still goes to the net like he's Lucic or Chara. No hesitation going to the boards. You know Claude loves that. Guys like Seguin/Spooner have all the offensive skill in the world but he'd criticize them all day long if they didn't go to the dirty areas. Pasta won't win any Selkes but he does what he needs to do... and he's only 18. Very excited for his future, can't believe we lucked out and got him.

 

[RickyR]

Well he outplayed Drouin by a mile.

 

[Hemsky001]

Well he outplayed Drouin by a mile.

... and Stamkos.

 

[fake british accent]

... and Stamkos.

Reminds me of a Marchand/Krejci hybrid in the offensive zone. He is very like active like Marchand but filters into the blind spots like Krejci.. so far... could turn out twice as streaky as either.

Bruins need to keep him. Even if he can't keep up with the physicality of the NHL, the leverage he can afford Chiarelli over the next few weeks or months should be worth burning a year of his entry deal.

 

[ed bruin]

I guess he's a bit small in terms of weight at 6'0 170lbs (18 years old), but he definitely has plus speed with great edge work (not sure I would ever knock his skating). In that way he's a bit like Skinner. That ability to change gears is lethal as well. Hockey sense and hands are off the charts.

he really reminds me of a smarter Yakupov tbh, may not have as good as a shot but when he touches the puck you hold your breath

 

[zaYG]

He looks like a Kane-lite to me, with better skating.

I bet he chose 88 for a reason.

 

[Ace88*]

Pastrnak is an excellent prospect, but we've seen this before. Prospect gets called up, has a great first 15-20 games out of the gate and then cools off and almost disappears.

I'm going to tentatively wait until that mark to really feel comfortable assessing him. The key to him staying up on the team is consistency--if he scores 4 goals in 5 games and then none in 10, I don't think Boston got time fo dat.

 

[AngelDuck]

Saw him for the first time at the WJC vs. Denmark.

He had the puck on his stick for a 5 second stretch and I immediately knew he was one of the best players out there. His hands are just crazy good

 

[VictorLustig]

[nhl]725486[/nhl]

[nhl]724934[/nhl]

[nhl]725377[/nhl]

[nhl]725213[/nhl]

 

[Hockeyfrilla]

what a steal at #25

 

[Petri1981]

what a steal at #25

2 good games and he is a steal? I'll say that we look at the next 2 seasons and then make that statement if its needed.

Hertl was also out of this world at the start of the last season, now he is average at max.

 

[VictorLustig]

2 good games and he is a steal? I'll say that we look at the next 2 seasons and then make that statement if its needed.

Hertl was also out of this world at the start of the last season, now he is average at max.

Look at his AHL stats as well.

 

[Petri1981]

Look at his AHL stats as well.

Or the AHL stats of Justin Schulz.

 

[VictorLustig]

Or the AHL stats of Justin Schulz.

Schultz played with some great players and he was 4 years older than Pastrnak. And yes, at #43 in his draft I would call Schultz a steal.

 

[Petri1981]

Schultz played with good players and he was 4 years older than Pastrnak. And yes, at #43 in his draft I would call Schultz a steal.

Just saying that Pastrnaks AHL stats doesnt make him a steal. His 2 good games in NHL doesnt make him a steal. Just wait how he performs for two seasons in NHL and then analyze. Christ ...

 

[VictorLustig]

Just saying that Pastrnaks AHL stats doesnt make him a steal. His 2 good games in NHL doesnt make him a steal. Just wait how he performs for two seasons in NHL and then analyze. Christ ...

Every player who gets drafted is called a "steal" on these boards at some point. He has brought more to his NHL team than anyone in his draft not named Ekblad, so he is a steal in a sense. He could still bust in the long run but looking at his play in the NHL, that looks VERY unlikely. He was also pretty darn good in the NHL before the WJC.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

His skating has really come along in the last year. Should be a good one.

 

[spg2000]

2 good games and he is a steal? I'll say that we look at the next 2 seasons and then make that statement if its needed.

Hertl was also out of this world at the start of the last season, now he is average at max.

I'm psyched about Pastrnak's play so far also, but people really do need to pump the brakes a little here - it's only been two games. We'll see how the kid does now that the news is out and other teams start focusing on him more.

Sure looks like he has some great potential though, and exciting offensive potential (something the Bruins need badly).

 

[Tomas W]

Pastrnak is a great pick at 25. He's not unlike William Nylander, his former teammate in Swedish hockey.

 

[BruinsBtn]

Just saying that Pastrnaks AHL stats doesnt make him a steal. His 2 good games in NHL doesnt make him a steal. Just wait how he performs for two seasons in NHL and then analyze. Christ ...

I think you need to wait at least 8 seasons!

Jeez this is a tough place. If you redid the draft today, he'd be way higher. That's what a steal is.

 

[Colt.45Orr]

He also hit the post in the Tampa game and scored on an empty net 1 sec after the buzzer in the previous game ----could have easily had back-to-back hat-tricks!

 

[BadBruins]

Pastrnak is an excellent prospect, but we've seen this before. Prospect gets called up, has a great first 15-20 games out of the gate and then cools off and almost disappears.

I'm going to tentatively wait until that mark to really feel comfortable assessing him. The key to him staying up on the team is consistency--if he scores 4 goals in 5 games and then none in 10, I don't think Boston got time fo dat.

I'd be satisfied with a flashes every so often. Basically what guys like Seguin, Kessel, Hamilton, Bergeron, and Lucic did for them as teenagers. It would be silly to expect consistency out of the youngest player in the NHL. He's obviously not going to score at a 40 goal clip the rest of the way. The injection of speed and raw skill is exactly what the Bruins needed. Even if he's just riding a high, a 15-20 game stretch of good play at this point could be enough to help them stay in the playoff hunt.

I think he's so intriguing because of the path he took to be playing on the Bruins top line and #1 PP unit right now. Chiarelli talked of him as a possible top-6 NHL option in the summer and most people shrugged it off.