At the 2025 NHL trade deadline, the Boston Bruins stunned fans by trading Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers. With this move, the Bruins are now in a new era of their franchise history.
With Marchand now gone, the Bruins currently do not have a captain. GM Don Sweeney has confirmed that this will remain the case for the remainder of this season. However, when the Bruins feel it is time for them to pick their next captain, they have two frontrunners. Let's discuss each of them now.
Charlie McAvoy
McAvoy has emerged as a leader for the Bruins over the years, as evidenced by him being an alternate captain. He has also been the Bruins' clear No. 1 defenseman for multiple seasons now. Thus, he is undoubtedly a candidate to be the next Bruins' captain.
McAvoy has spent the entirety of his eight-year career with the Bruins, where he has 60 goals, 300 points, and a plus-144 rating in 504 games. However, besides being steady defensively and chipping in offense, he also plays a hard-nosed game like a classic Bruin. Thus, he could be a great fit to be the next captain.
David Pastrnak
Like McAvoy, Pastrnak is sporting an 'A' on his jersey for the Bruins. Over the last few seasons, No. 88 has taken on a more significant leadership role, and he now has biggest test on that front. With McAvoy currently sidelined, he is leading the new-look Bruins on his own after Marchand and several other key veterans were dealt by March 7.
Pastrnak is the Bruins' top superstar, so they certainly could elect to give him the captaincy. In 739 games as a Bruin over 11 seasons, he has 380 goals, 806 points, and a plus-139 rating.
Who do you think the Bruins' next captain should be? Please vote in the poll above to share your thoughts.
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