With the Boston Bruins trading Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers at the deadline, they no longer have a captain. Bruins GM Don Sweeney confirmed that this will not change before the end of the season.
However, when the Bruins are ready to pick their next captain, it is clear that superstar forward David Pastrnak will be among the club's top candidates. He already is an alternate captain for the Bruins and is undoubtedly their best player.
Yet, when asked about potentially becoming the Bruins' next captain, Pastrnak made it clear that his focus is not on getting the 'C' but instead finishing the season on a strong note.
"I have not thought about it, honestly," Pastrnak said. "I got the 'A.' Obviously, the role has changed a little bit. You lead more, but you're just trying to stay yourself. Right now, we have 17 games left, and that's my main focus. To build on those two games, we played pretty good hockey [in the] last two. This has to be our standard for the rest of the season and see where it takes us."
Pastrnak has emerged as a key leader for the Bruins over the years, so he will undoubtedly be a player to watch when it comes to the club's vacant captaincy. In 739 games over 11 seasons with the Bruins, he has 380 goals, 806 points, and a plus-139 rating. This includes 32 goals and 79 points in 65 games this season.
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