The latest events in hockey Boston must have pleased David Pastrňák. When improving the team, the Bruins thought a lot about the center of attack, a key position for the Czech winger. They scored on the open market and in the draft.
Pastrňák did not shine much in the last NHL playoffs. Although he made a spectacular decision in the seventh game of the first round against Toronto, otherwise he only managed to record 4+4 in 13 games.
Supporters of the Czech superstar, however, reminded critics: “Pasternák’s center is Morgan Geekie.”
Although the 28-year-old Czech started and finished the regular season next to Pavel Zacha, he replaced other centers in the meantime. And in the playoffs, he ended up with Geekie, a handy all-rounder who, however, is a long way from being an elite center.
There was a clear goal in the Bruins’ postseason plans: to improve the center of the attack.
The first two centers, Zach and Charlie Coyle, received praise during the regular season for the way they replaced Patrice Bergeron and David Krejčí, but they slowed down in the elimination battles, scoring only two goals.
In the second round, it was clear that Florida with Aleksandr Barkov and Sam Bennett is much stronger in the middle of the attack.
Therefore, Boston’s general manager Don Sweeney grabbed one of the biggest fish on the open market – Swedish center Elias Lindholm.
It was not cheap, and there is no consensus among the overseas media as to whether the seven-year contract for more than $54 million, which averages out to an annual salary of $7.75 million, is actually worth it.
Anyway, the 29-year-old Lindholm is Boston’s new number one center. In many ways, he resembles the legendary Bergeron. He wins faceoffs and can think about the Selke Trophy for the league’s best defensive forward. Of course, it also adds a decent portion of points.
About two years ago, he scored 42 goals and 82 points in the regular season for Calgary.
“One of his teammates in the formation was Matthew Tkachuk,” he reminded journalist Nick Goss to the superstar who recently helped Florida to the Stanley Cup. “Combining Lindholm with another elite scorer, David Pastrnak, has the potential to produce fantastic results.”
“The line with Lindholm, Pastrňák and Brad Marchand could then dominate the entire ice,” he added.
Manager Sweeney was thinking about the middle of the first two attacks on a front other than the free market. In the draft.
Even before its launch, he made a drastic decision. He traded excellent goalkeeper Linus Ullmark to Ottawa. In return, he received a package headed by a pick in the first round of this year’s draft.
He then chose 18-year-old center Dean Letourneau from the overall 25th position, a two-meter monster with an impressive shot, skillful hands and, surprisingly, relatively fast feet.
“Instead of playing it safe, Boston made a pick that could turn out to be a big hit or a bust. And it was absolutely the right move.” he noted Goss.
The Bruins have virtually no teenager with superstar potential in their system, and as a successful club, they don’t pick high enough in the draft to simply acquire one.
So they decided to take the risk. They pointed to a very interesting hockey player, but many question marks surround him. No one can tell how good Letourneau really is because he played outside of the elite youth leagues. On St. Andrew’s College was preparing for the collegiate NCAA. Only there, from the next season, what is in him will be revealed.
“He could be the next Tage Thompson,” noted Buffalo star Corey Pronman of the online journal The Athletic. “But it could also be Joe Colborne or Riley Tufte,” he listed other tall but far less successful forwards.
“I think it will be somewhere in between,” he added.
