The defenseman said exactly what the fans are thinking after a last-place finish.
The Boston Bruins lost their final game of the season on Tuesday to the New Jersey Devils. That closed the book on the 2024-25 season, finishing last place in the Atlantic Division and tied for last in the Eastern Conference. Even with the playoffs long gone, David Pastrnak had a spectacular season in Boston. Defenseman Nikita Zadorov knows that the Bruins can't keep wasting great Pastrnak seasons.
“I mean, it's an Original 6 team, it's a great city to play in, we have one of the best players in the world (Pastrnak), we have one of the best goalies in the world (Jeremy Swayman). We have two really good d-men who were out pretty much for [the] whole year (Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm), We have all the pieces for the future.”
“We have a great president, a great GM, they're willing to do anything to win, and they gave us a clear message today, so it's gonna be exciting. It's gonna be exciting, gonna be an exciting summer, and it's going to be exciting to see our new teammates. Whoever is going to come and join us.”
“What are they going to do? Waste Pasta's years?… It's win or nothing in here for sure.”
The Bruins have a big offseason ahead
Last offseason, the Bruins were trying to improve a team that lost in the second round to the Florida Panthers. They made two big acquisitions, center Elias Lindholm and Zadorov. Neither of those moves worked as planned, with Lindholm scoring only 47 points and Zadorov leading the league in penalty minutes.
While Pastrnak is still doing his thing, the rest of the Bruins team looks very different. Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci have retired, Brad Marchand was traded to the Panthers, and Charlie Coyle was also dealt. Boston needs smart moves this offseason to improve their center and defensive depth. Zadorov is right about Pastrnak, McAvoy, and Swayman. But they need more than three players to make the playoffs next year.
A trade candidate that is a perfect fit for the Bruins is New York Islanders center JG Pageau. Their center depth has been brutal since Krejci retired, and their penalty kill was ranked 24th in the league this year. Pageau would provide a solid face-off man who could play shorthanded, and he would not cost much.
The Bruins need significant improvements to avoid wasting David Pastrnak's prime.
