David Pastrnak Deserves More Than a Footnote in the Hart Trophy Race
Let’s get right to it: if we’re talking about the most valuable players in the NHL this season, David Pastrnak belongs squarely in the heart of that conversation - not buried in the odds next to players barely cracking top-six minutes.
The Hart Trophy race is heating up, and names like Nathan MacKinnon, Macklin Celebrini, and Connor McDavid are dominating the headlines - and the sportsbooks. MacKinnon is the runaway favorite, and Celebrini’s rise as a 19-year-old phenom in San Jose is turning heads for good reason. But while the hockey world marvels at the buzz out west, Pastrnak is quietly (or maybe not so quietly) carrying the Boston Bruins through a season many thought would be transitional at best.
Let’s put it in perspective: Pastrnak has 19 more points than the next closest Bruin. Nineteen.
That’s not just a team lead - that’s a one-man offensive engine. Over his last 10 games, he’s racked up 19 points, powering a Bruins team that has clawed its way back into playoff position after many had them penciled in for a lottery pick post-Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.
This isn’t just about raw point totals, either. It’s about impact.
Pastrnak has elevated every player he’s skated with this season. Slot him next to Fraser Minten?
The rookie finds the back of the net. Line him up with Marat Khusnutdinov?
Suddenly, he’s channeling his inner Brad Marchand. Even Morgan Geekie - who went 12 games without a goal - snapped his drought skating alongside No.
That’s the kind of ripple effect you can’t quantify with just stats. Pastrnak isn’t just producing - he’s transforming the players around him.
That’s value. That’s what the Hart Trophy is supposed to represent.
And yet, look at the odds. Pastrnak is lumped in with players like JJ Peterka, Timo Meier, and Logan Stankoven - good players, sure, but not in the same galaxy of influence this season. Even Igor Shesterkin, who may be out for the year and has struggled behind one of the league’s worst teams, is sitting in that same tier.
It raises the question: are people watching what Pastrnak is doing night in and night out? Because if you are, it’s hard to come away thinking he doesn’t deserve top-five consideration for the Hart.
MacKinnon, McDavid, Celebrini - they’re all having great seasons. But Pastrnak is the reason Boston is still in the fight. He’s not just keeping the Bruins afloat - he’s propelling them, game after game, goal after goal, shift after shift.
Ignore the odds. Watch the games. David Pastrnak is playing MVP-caliber hockey, and it’s time the Hart Trophy conversation reflected that.