David Pastrnak Should Be Captain + 2025-26 Bruins NHL.com Projections

David Pastrnak Should Be Captain + 2025-26 Bruins NHL.com Projections

After giving it a lot of thought over the weekend, I really believe the Bruins might be making a mistake by not naming David Postnock as the next captain. You’re Locked on Bruins, your daily podcast on the Boston Bruins, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. What is up Bruins fans and welcome back to the Locked On Boston Bruins podcast. I’m your host Ian McLaren and this is a daily show where we discuss all things spoke to Beat. Today is Monday, August 4th. Thank you so much for making Locked on Boston Bruins part of your daily routine. Free and available on your favorite podcast app and on YouTube. It’s part of the Lockdown Podcast Network your favorite team every single day, no matter what the sport. Today’s episode is brought to you by Monarch Money. Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code lockdown NHL at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year. Now, on Friday’s podcast, we discussed how the Bruins likely will go with a 2A approach for this upcoming season with Charlie Makavoy and David Posterno wearing the A’s. And I titled that podcast no captain, no problem. But the more that I thought about it over the weekend, the more I’m convinced that they should just go ahead and name David Posterno captain. We’re going to touch on that as well as look at some NHL.com projections for relevant Bruins players this season and their top five prospects list. Before we get into all that though, quick reminder. You can find the podcast on social media, locked NHL Bruins, not to be confused with the UCLA Bruins, of course. That’s on Blue Sky X threads, Instagram, even Tik Tok these days. And you can find me, my hockey thoughts and dad jokes at Ian C McLaren. I’m a lifelong Boston Bruins fan and I have been covering this team and the NHL for various outlets for about 20 years now. Let’s begin by just touching on why NHL teams need captains. It kind of begins with leadership and accountability. It’s more than just a ceremonial C on the jersey. The captain serves as an emotional compass for the team. When games get tough or tensions rise in the locker room, it’s inevitable. It’s going to happen. Players look to the captain for composure, direction, motivation. Captains address the team during intermission, uh lead practices by example, and are often the first to take accountability when the team falls short. You can have multiple leaders on a team and Charlie Makavoy and Dave Aposternac are both core players leaders on this team, the longest serving players on this team. The only holdovers from the 2019 run to the Stanley Cup final. So, both are going to play important roles, but you kind of need that one guy. You talk about addressing the team during intermission and if you have that 2A approach like who decides who’s going to address the team on any given night? If you have a clear hierarchy, then you eliminate that awkwardness or that uh who’s going to step up question tonight or stepping on another guy’s toes by one guy taking on more than the other. Captains also play a crucial role in communication. They bring locker room concerns to the coaching staff, convey the coach’s vision to the players. Without a clear leader, that communication can become fragmented. And when you have a new head coach coming in like Marco Sturm, again, that clear hierarchy is important. Sturm to Posternok to the assistants and then the rest of the guys setting uh the example. Whether it’s a rebuilding year or a playoff push, every team needs someone who defines the standard. Dave Apostrod stepped up huge last season with a massive performance when the team was on a bit of a downswing. They set the tone for work ethic, preparation, how to represent the organization on and off the ice. That consistency builds identity and cohesion, right? Something especially important for evolving rosters. They’re also the public face of the franchise usually. There are some exceptions where it’s kind of a lesserk known player, not a star player necessarily, but from speaking to media to participating in community events, captain is often the most visible player in the organization. And having a clear leader provides fans and media with a steady voice and gives the team a strong marketable identity. I’ve said so many times on this podcast and just in conversation that the Bruins, the NHL, I believe, have failed David Aoshnock in a few ways by not making him more of a face of the franchise. I don’t know whether it’s kind of a communication barrier or his strong accent or what it is, but he is the kind of player who if he was from rural Ontario, he would be marketed to the nines and pushed out there as the face of the franchise, face of the league, one of the most consistent elite offensive talents of this generation. He’s led the Bruins in scoring for five straight seasons. One of the most dynamic, marketable players in the league. Fans don’t just come to see the Bruins. They come to see Pasta on any given night. He could put in a worldclass performance. And if the captaincy is about embodying the fan franchise, he’s already doing it. He’s not one of those stoic leaders, but he brings infectious enthusiasm to the rink, and that energy helps to fuse pressure, builds team chemistry, especially among younger players. He’s also shown maturity through tragedy. You know, returning to form after personal loss, showing leadership during last season’s adversity. He’s committed long term. He has buyin, of course. He signed that long-term deal when things were a bit brighter, but he’s not just part of the present. He is their future. He is their building block. And the captaincy should go to someone who will be around to lead the team through this next chapter. Now, Charlie Makavoy is of course also signed, but there’s something to be said about Pasta’s uh longest tenur reign and the fact that they went so naturally from Zadenara to Patrice Berseron handed it immediately to Brad Marshon after his whole history with the Bruins and in the NHL not being, you know, a perfect track record to not immediately hand it off to Dave Aposterno who is seemingly next in line does a disservice to the impact that he has made on this franchise. Whether it’s scoring a big overtime winner, game seven against the Toronto Maple Leafs, creating momentum with the rush, he delivers when the Bruins need it most. And leadership isn’t always vocal. It’s about moments. And Pasta consistently shows up in those big moments. Early in his career, he was a funloving young star. Today, he’s matured into a respected veteran who still has that joyful spark, but with added responsibility both on and off the ice. He’s married. He has a child. He supported teammates through tough times. Praises rookies, takes ownership when things don’t go right. And that evolution mirrors the kind of player you want wearing the seat. And not to mention his journey to the NHL to begin with. David Poserno did not come from great financial means. Uh he lost his father in 2013 to cancer. He’s dedicated his hockey career to his father and without a doubt his father would be proud of his son’s career accomplishments to date. He was using budget equipment growing up as a kid and was able to put all that together into becoming one of the greatest players of this generation. For me, the more that I thought about it, a team without a captain risks drifting without a defined voice or vision. This is no disrespect to Charlie Makavoy, who very much is captain material and likely will be the captain at some point if he outlasts David Postrock. But for a franchise with the legacy of the Boston Bruins, it’s time to pass that torch. And again, there was a clean passing from Charara to Berseron to Marshand. And now it’s time to pass it to David Postno, a superstar with heart, charisma, and the commitment to carry this team forward. Just give him the C. He is ready. Forget this two headed leadership approach. Let’s go with pasta. You have a fine assistant in Charlie Makavoy. Maybe Nikita Zidorov and uh Elias Lindholm or Hampas Lindholm. Wear the A’s as well, but give Pasta the C. He is more than worthy. Coming up, we are going to discuss NHL.com projections for the Bruins in terms of fantasy rankings as well as the top five prospects according to the league’s website. Do you ever wish that managing your money felt just a bit easier? Well, with Monarch Money, it can. Whether you’re growing your savings or planning a big purchase, Monarch puts you in the driver’s seat. It’s like having your own personal CFO, giving you full visibility and control over your finances. Monarch Money is more than a budgeting app. It’s a complete financial command center. You can track all your accounts, investments, and spending in one place. So, in addition to managing your money, you’re also building wealth. We took a look at our finances and saw how much we were spending on fast food, coffee, streaming services, and we were able to cut that down to what we needed most and saw some great savings as a result. Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code lockdown NHL at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year. That’s monarchmoney.com code locked on NHL for half off your first year. Thanks so much again for making Locked On Bruins part of your daily routine. Every dayers know that each new episode automatically added to your podcast feeds and on YouTube. Uh August will be a bit of a slower month. still going to be pumping out podcasts regularly, not necessarily every single day, but training camp just around the corner. And anytime new Bruins news drops, you’ll know that I will be right on top of it. All right, so over the weekend, NHL.com, they started their 32 and 32 series, looking at all 32 teams and projections for the upcoming season. And they have David Apostronox point total at under 100, which would be the first time that’s happened in the past several seasons. He’s been on a nice streak here of 100 point seasons dating back to 2022, 23, 113, 110, and 106 this past season. Yes, there’s some drop off there, but they’re projecting that he will come in at 94 points. He is one of three Bruins with at least three straight 100 point seasons. Bobby Yore and Phil Espazito being the other two or had six, Espazito had five in a row. Uh he leads the NHL in goals and ranks fifth in points since the start of 2022 23. But they’re saying with Brad Marshand traded to Florida last season, Poshnock is still a top 10 overall fantasy option and Boston’s clearcut projected leading scoreer with a high fantasy floor. Now Marshon’s departure not very relevant for Postnot because they didn’t really play much together last season. He was still able to get 106 points. Uh, I’d be surprised if he dips below 100 and if so that far like a six points under 500. He did have a slow start last year, but one of the best players down the stretch. Led the NHL in goals, five on five, assists, points. Like if they can get their power play going a little bit, he could even improve on last year’s totals. And part of that will be Morgan Geeki’s progression. Uh after scoring 22 goals in 180 NHL games, he had 50 in 153 over the past two seasons with the Bruins. Signed a six-year contract after setting career highs in goals, assists, and points 57 in 77 games last season. uh quietly tied for second in the league in five on five goals last season and he along with Pasta could have an even higher ceiling if power play point production he only had nine last season improves. So, those two guys will be very tied together this season. And if Elias Lindholm can come up and keep that momentum going that they displayed, that trio displayed at the end of last season, uh that could be a real uh nice first line for Boston. I actually have Morgan Geeki on one of my fantasy teams. Even though it’s a cap league, I’m sticking with him because I’m hoping that he will ride the success he had alongside our boy Pasta. They’re projecting 25 wins for Jeremy Swayman. Of course, he had a terrible season last year. 892 save percentage last season, down from 910 in his career. He had 55 starts, faced 30 shots in 21 of them last season. They did make those playoffs, but Swayman remains in NHL.com’s top 25 goalie rankings. And if he goes back to form, he should be back in the top 10. And I’ve mentioned before, everydayers will remember goalending, coaching success very much tied together. And if Jeremy Swayman can get back to that 910 safe percentage, which is above league average, if he can even get to league average, then that will be a big benefit to Marcos Sturm and the rest of the Boston Bruins. And of course, he will benefit from having Hampus Lindome back on the blue line. He missed most of last season. and Charlie Makavoy, who was limited to 50 games after sustaining a season ending shoulder surgery during the Four Nations faceoff. He’s yet to reach the 80game mark in any of his eight NHL seasons, but he is productive when healthy, tied for 18th among defenseman in points per game over the past four seasons. He should be a top 30 fantasy defenseman with the ceiling of regaining Boston’s top power play spot from Mason Laurai and could challenge his previous careerhigh in points which was 56 in 2021-22. Elias Lindholm, they’re projecting as another bounceback candidate after having 47 points in 82 games in his first season with the Bruins. Uh could have an opportunity to play on the top line. First power play with Posternok under Marco Sturm and especially if James Haggins does not play in the NHL this season. uh he does have an 82 point season to his name in 202122. So it’s possible and likely that he will um hit a new high as a member of the Boston Bruins this past or sorry this upcoming season. And that will be um a real important factor in the Bruins bouncing back here in 202526. When it comes to a Bruins breakout candidate, they are picking Mason Laurai who led Bruins defenseman with 33 points, including a team high 15 power play assists in his first full NHL season. He’s proved he can be a standout offensively and could play alongside Charlie Makavoy on the top pairing. Uh he was elevated into an expanded role due to injuries averaging 21 minutes and 18 seconds of ice time per game after the Four Nations faceoff compared to 1940 before. Uh he ranked highly at his position in both mid-range goals and power play skating distance. With Makaoy healthy as his defensive partner, nhl.com writes, “At even strength and his own emergence to play on the man advantage, he should set career highs in goals, assists, and points to go along with 100 plus blocked shots this season. So, if you’re looking for good value defensively in fantasy leagues, you want to take a look at Mason Lauri. So, that’s some projections for the Bruins this coming season. They also have Matt Potra projected at 40 points. So, that would indicate a fairly regular role for him. 45 points from Casey Middlestat. Would love to see him get more to the 50 to 55 range that he had in Colorado. Hampus Lindholm with 30. And if you’re looking for a hits specialist, Tanner Jano will be your guy. Now, what did NHL.com have to say about Boston’s top prospects and how they’re ranked? We’ll look at the top five here as the podcast continues. It will come as no surprise that the top prospect for the Boston Bruins according to NHL.com and I would be shocked if this wasn’t true in all prospect rankings is James Hagens selected with the number seven pick in the 2025 NHL draft. Uh first pick in the top 10 since 2011 when they took Douggee Hamilton at number nine. His offensive upside addresses a key need after the Bruins averaged only 2.7 goals last season. Uh likely returning to Boston College, potentially making his debut after his college season ends uh maybe in April. Don Sweeney said they feel he’s a guy that can generate offensively, will continue to round out his game, 200 foot game, but wants to play in every situation. has produced at NHL at every level and they were so happy to get him and his projected NHL arrival is full-time next season. Now they have Fabian Lysel still at number two on the their top five rankings. He made his NHL debut on December 28th, was recalled on March 22nd, had his first NHL point with an assist and a 7-2 win over the Devils on the 8th and his first 8th of April, I should say, and his first goal in a 4-1 win at Pittsburgh on April 13th. He’s been mostly stuck in the American Hockey League and could very well continue with Providence before making another appearance in uh Boston. Back in April, he said he has to make decisions quicker. You don’t have time to hesitate with the puck or without the puck. You have to move your feet at all times and have the courage to try to get inside. He’s got a high offensive upside, but those other parts of his game are keeping him back a bit. And I would arguably put Fraser Minton over from him. He was traded from Toronto uh last season. Uh had he’s got five points in 25 NHL games since making his debut with the Maple Leafs on October 11th, 2023. Second round pick in 2022. Uh he played in each of Boston’s final six games and scored a goal on April 8th. He could find more of a role in Boston after Sweeney said he’d be open to younger players earning a spot out of training camp. Of course, there’s going to be a lot of competition for that. Uh with all the signings in the bottom six, they have Dan Lochmelis in there at number four. Got a taste of pro hockey with a stint in Providence. had one assist in four games during the Calder Cup playoffs before leaving to play in the World Championships where he had six points in seven games. Uh he could be called up at some point this season. Will Zeers is number five on the list, USHL player of the year, USHL forward of the year. all USHL first team this past season, 44 goals, led the USHL among all qualified skaters, and he’s going to go to college at North Dakota. 19-year-old with huge offensive upside, but needs to develop defensively. I think if I’m ranking here, I go Hagens one obviously Minton at two, maybe Loch Mellish three and then Lysel and Zeers, but I I think upside Zeers might have more than Lysel at this point. This is going to be a huge season for Fabian Lysel. And if he can’t come out of training camp with a spot locked down, that’s going to be a real uh just only going to raise more eyebrows and question marks as to whether this team can uh count on him to become a regular NHLer. They have three questions on NHL.com facing the Bruins. Is there enough around David Postron? 106 points. Tied for third in the NHL with Leon Dryidle. And behind Nathan McKinnon, Nikita Cooerov, they’ve added forward Victor Arvdson. still some questions about who is going to score on this team and they’re really counting on Morgan Geeki maybe not sustaining that 33 goal season but um at least scoring 25. Will Jeremy Swayman rebound? That’s another huge question mark. Uh 22 29 and seven. They’re projecting 25 wins to eight and one in his final 11 starts allowing at least four goals seven times. He did miss training camp, looked a lot better at the World Championships. So, I think we’ll get a reinvigorated Jeremy Swayman to begin the season, and that could help Marco Sturm bring back the Bruins way, which is their second question. The Bruins struggle defensively. They need a healthy Hamus Lindholm, healthy Charlie Makavoy, and a guy like Swayman to really find his game. All that’s available on NHL.com if you’re interested. The big takeaway from today’s episode is David Posnock should be the next captain of the Boston Bruins. I understand the kind of approach of kind of wanting to wait and see, allowing Marco Sturm time to evaluate the players, but he should be afforded the same courtesy that Brad Marshon was by just immediately handing him the C. He is the longest tenure Bruin, one of the best Bruins offensively like ever. he’s on track to be the best ever if he continues on this trajectory and remains a member of the Boston Bruins through the remainder of his career. And to not have him as captain um and not name him captain immediately kind of a I don’t want to say insulting, but a bit of a a bit disrespectful I would say to not just name him captain uh to begin this season. I understand Charlie Makavoy is wellqualified, but Pasta is the face of the franchise and deserves to be captain. All right, that’s it for today’s episode of Locked on Boston Bruins. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen. Please join in on the conversation on the YouTube comments or on social media, locked NHL Bruins on uh X Blue Sky Instagram. love to hear from you and what you think about the uh captaincy, the the projections and Boston’s top five prospects. I hope you’re all doing well, taking care of yourselves, taking care of each other, and we’ll talk to you again here on the next episode of Locked On Boston Bruins, part of the Locked On podcast network, your favorite team every single day.

After thinking it over all weekend, host Ian McLaren makes the case that the Bruins are making a mistake by not naming David Pastrnak captain. He explains why every NHL team needs a clear leader—and why Pasta is the obvious choice in Boston. Plus: NHL.com projections for top Bruins players, fantasy outlooks, and a breakdown of the team’s top five prospects heading into the 2025-26 season.

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧https://link.chtbl.com/LOBruins?sid=YouTube

Locked On NHL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Prospects & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNHL

#BostonBruins #Bruins #NHLHockey

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
Gametime
Today’s episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNHL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply.
Monarch Money
Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNHL at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnhl for 50% off your first year.
FanDuel
Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new FanDuel customers can get $150 in Bonus Bets if your first $5 bet wins!
FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)