The Bruins appear set to end their captaincy wait before the season starts, and the choice has been narrowing for a while. Marco Sturm said during the Boston Bruins Foundation Golf Tournament earlier this week that the team is still talking things through, but a decision is coming soon.
“We’ve been communicating, but we’ll make a decision here before the season starts, and we go from there,” Sturm said. “I always talk to my players, and some more than others, and kind of get a little bit of feedback what is happening in the room.
It’s an honest group and I trust my players, and they always give me good feedback. We listen to everyone and especially the guys in the room.”
All signs point to a two-man race between Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak, who essentially shared the leadership load last season while both wore an “A.” There are other voices in the room - Nikita Zadorov, Hampus Lindholm, Pavel Zacha, Morgan Geekie and even Jeremy Swayman all fit into that leadership tier - but McAvoy and Pastrnak remain the center of gravity in Boston’s locker room.
Pastrnak may have the edge. He came off a season in which he was clearly the most influential voice in the dressing room, and McAvoy’s late-season loss of control last postseason, which led to a six-game suspension to start this season, has only added to the conversation around the decision. Still, McAvoy made it clear Thursday at captain’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena that there won’t be any bad blood no matter how the Bruins sort it out.
“Yeah, I mean, I thought we had a great thing [last year],” said McAvoy after captain’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena on Thursday. “Myself and Dave…we leaned on each other a lot.
We’ve both been here a long time. We’ve both been able to learn from the same group of guys, the same people that are already up in the rafters; one of them, and the other guy is going [this year].
So we’re very lucky to have had those people teach us the ways and how we can try and keep the culture, even though the names are changing, generations are changing.
“Dave’s gonna be what I think is a Hall of Famer. I think he’ll be retired here.
He’s done so much, like who he is as a person, as a teammate, and what he means to this organization and team. I love him to death, and he would be extremely deserving.
Whatever happens, it’s out of my hands. But I don’t think there would be any friction.”
Pastrnak has not spoken publicly about the issue yet. He was in Las Vegas last week for the national NHL media tour, and it would not be a surprise if his stance sounds much the same once the Bruins make their announcement. That announcement should come soon, with Boston poised to name the 28th captain in Black and Gold franchise history.
In Other News...
Bruins Just Got A Brutal Reminder As Camp Nears
Chris Kreiders move gave the Bruins a fresh bit of perspective as training camp gets closer. Boston had been viewed as a possible landing spot for the veteran winger, but once he hit waivers and became available, he chose to sign with Montreal instead, a reminder that even when a player is on the market, the Bruins are still fighting for position in a crowded race for help.
For a team that has just over $5 million in salary cap space, the Kreider decision also highlights how tight the margins can be this time of year. Boston can still explore options, but missing out on a player it was tracking underscores how quickly a useful fit can disappear once other clubs make their pitch and a rival gets the deal done. [Read more 🡒]
Nikita Zadorov Just Pushed Back On A Bruins Trade Rumor
Rumors started swirling around Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov after a potential deal involving Edmontons Darnell Nurse surfaced, but Zadorov quickly pushed back on the idea that he stood in the way of anything. The chatter centered on whether he had blocked a move by refusing to waive his no-trade protection, and the speculation had enough traction to demand a response.
Zadorov said the story simply was not true, and he made clear he is content with his contract and where he stands in Boston. The Bruins did not end up landing Nurse, and for now Zadorov remains part of the blue line picture heading into the season, with the trade noise left lingering as the kind of offseason rumor that can take on a life of its own. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Prospects Have A Real Chance To Change The Roster Debate
Rookie Camp against the Sabres is giving the Bruins a first real chance to see whether James Hagens and Dans Locmelis can push themselves into a louder part of the roster conversation. These games matter because strong showings from prospects can do more than build buzz for September - they can force the organization to rethink how soon a young player belongs in the NHL picture, something the Bruins have already seen happen in recent memory.
Hagens and Locmelis both enter the camp with a path that is anything but straightforward, which is why every shift carries extra weight. The challenge now is not just standing out against Buffalo, but doing it well enough to keep the discussion going once the games end and the Bruins have to sort out who has truly made the strongest case. [Read more 🡒]