David Pastrnak was still struggling to process the Boston Bruins' shocking trade deadline moves one day after the fire sale went down.
Pastrnak admitted that he initially thought they "were a dream" before the reality set in as Saturday advanced, per The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa.
"When I woke up today, I honestly thought it was a dream," Pastrnak said after Saturday's 4-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. "Yesterday, with so much going on, today the reality really hits.
"That, I would say, was a little harder this morning."
The Bruins made sweeping changes at the deadline, headlined by the blockbuster trade of captain Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers. They also sent Charlie Coyle to the Colorado Avalanche and Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs, marking a significant shift in the team's direction and launching a retool of the roster.
Pastrnak, now the longest-tenured Bruins player with 10 years of experience, all of them spent in Boston, acknowledged the emotional toll of the unexpected roster overhaul.
"It’s the worst side of the business we are in," Pastrnak said. "But we have to stick together in the tough moments.
"On the other hand, it’s the beauty of the sport. You have 20 friends you can rely on. We are in this together. We’re not losing any hope."
With longtime teammates gone, Pastrnak found himself taking on a larger leadership role, especially with "heartbroken" alternate captain Charlie McAvoy injured and Hampus Lindholm likely out for the season.
"I am one of the oldest guys in the group," Pastrnak said. "We’re missing Chucky and Hampus here, which are a big part of our group.
"But we do recognize we have a lot of jobs to do and more responsibility."
The Bruins managed a bounce-back 4–0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday following Friday's moves, but the team is undeniably in transition, boasting a 29-28-8 record and sitting sixth in the Eastern Conference wild-card race, two points outside of the playoffs.
Jeremy Swayman's Devastating Reaction to Bruins' Fire Sale
Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman struggled to process the franchise's trade deadline moves, including that involving former team captain Brad Marchand.
Swayman described the past few days as "devastating" and "a roller-coaster of emotions" when addressing Friday's action on Saturday, per The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa.
According to Swayman, the Bruins' front office acted against the wishes of the now-former Boston players traded ahead of the deadline.
"It’s just complete, unexpected stuff," Swayman said after the Bruins' 4-0 win over Tampa Bay on Saturday. "I know none of those guys wanted to leave, and they wanted to see it through here.
"We had the ability to see it through here with those guys. That’s just the most devastating part, I think."
Boston sent shockwaves through the league by trading Marchand to the Florida Panthers, along with longtime teammates Charlie Coyle (to Colorado), Trent Frederic (to Edmonton), and Brandon Carlo (to Toronto).
The moves mark a significant shift for a franchise that had been built around its veteran core for over a decade, following the Stanley Cup victory back in 2011 in Marchand's sophomore season.
Swayman, now in his fifth season with Boston since debuting in 2020-21, was close with many of the players who were moved and admitted the emotional toll was high.
"I love those guys," Swayman said. "The fact that we can’t continue to play together, make memories, and push through is devastating."
Amid the trauma experienced by Swayman and a few other players still wearing the Bruins sweater, general manager Don Sweeney insisted he didn't pull off any sort of fire sale nor kickstarted a rebuild.
"Did we come in this morning knowing that we were making every one of these moves? No," Sweeney said. “The message is clearly not about, you know, we didn’t burn it down."
