August may be a quiet month on the NHL calendar, but the rankings chatter is still rolling. The NHL Network’s annual offseason lists are back, and this time the focus was on wings. David Pastrnak landed at No. 2, with only Nikita Kucherov placed ahead of him.
That kind of placement hardly feels controversial. Pastrnak has been that good for that long.
Over the past eight seasons, he’s scored at better than a point per game, and he’s put up 100-plus points in four straight years. That includes the messy season Bruins fans had to endure two years ago, which makes the run even more impressive.
At this point, the case for Pastrnak is simple: he’s one of the league’s best, year after year, and it’s easy to stop noticing just how consistent he’s been. Unless, of course, you’re the familiar voice insisting the Bruins should trade him for someone with more grit.
If you’re looking for more ranking debate, NHL Network still has its defensemen, goalies, and centers lists coming over the next three Sundays.
Elsewhere, there’s a more serious conversation brewing around NHL radio broadcasts. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic recently wrote about the slow decline of the format, sparked by the Blue Jackets’ decision to replace their radio broadcast with audio from the TV feed. Four other NHL teams have made the same move in recent years.
It’s not hard to see why hockey is a rough fit for radio. The sport moves constantly, and unlike baseball, there are few natural pauses to reset the action. Basketball has the same challenge to a degree, with a lot happening away from the ball and very little downtime.
That’s why swapping in TV audio feels like a bad trade for radio listeners. A television play-by-play call is built for viewers who can already see the game; a radio call has to carry the whole picture on its own.
Bruins fans, at least, have been fortunate. The team has had strong radio broadcasts for much of the last three decades, and the hope is that continues.
In Other News...
James Hagens Could Be Exactly What The Bruins Need This Season
James Hagens arrives with the kind of resume that makes a team pay attention right away. The seventh overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft already got a taste of the league with a few games last season, and after a strong college run, he has put himself in position to be part of Bostons middle six this year. For a Bruins team looking for more skill and youthful upside in the lineup, Hagens is the sort of player who can change the feel of a forward group fast if his early pro promise carries over.
The bigger question is what kind of leap he can make once the schedule gets rolling and the spotlight gets brighter. Hagens will be measured not just against the usual rookie learning curve, but against other top newcomers like Gavin McKenna, with the Calder Trophy conversation already hanging over the class. If he gives Boston steady offense and helps stabilize the depth that so often decides a season, he can turn a promising start into something much more meaningful for the Bruins. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Enter A Crucial Stretch For Don Sweeneys Long Term Plan
Midway through the offseason, the Bruins are moving toward rookie camp and training camp with the calendar now doing some of the heavy lifting for Don Sweeneys front office. Boston has several contract decisions ahead, and those choices matter beyond the usual summer housekeeping because they will help shape how the roster looks not just in the fall, but in the longer view Sweeney has been building toward.
Around the league, other teams are wrestling with their own front office and contract questions, a reminder that this part of the NHL calendar can quickly turn into a test of patience and planning. For the Bruins, the focus is tighter and more immediate: sorting out those upcoming decisions without losing sight of the bigger blueprint, a task that only gets more important as camp gets closer. [Read more 🡒]
Patrice Bergerons Rare Bruins Fights Are Worth Reliving
Patrice Bergeron spent a good part of his career being known for everything but fisticuffs, which is part of what made his recent trip through fight history so appealing. In an interview on Spittin Chiclets, the longtime Bruins center opened up about boxing lessons and walked through four NHL scraps from his playing days, including matchups with Josh Gorges, Evgeni Malkin, Tyler Myers and Blake Wheeler.
For Bruins fans, it is a reminder that even Bergerons rarest moments could become memorable. He talked through the context and outcomes of each fight, while also reflecting on how martial arts training might have served him well back then. It is a small but fun window into a player whose game was built on detail, discipline and the occasional surprise. [Read more 🡒]