Latest news with #DavidPastrnak
New York Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Marco Sturm's to-do list as new Bruins coach: Zone defense? Assistants? Captain?
Four months remain until Marco Sturm pursues his first two points as Boston Bruins head coach. In Boston, his former home as a player and new one as a coach, the climate is starting to turn toward summer. But however distant the 2025-26 season opener seems to be, Sturm will have his calendar full between now and then. Advertisement His priorities: Sturm would be wise to keep Bob Essensa around. The goaltending coach has been in the position since 2003. His track record is filled with grand slams. Tim Thomas, Tuukka Rask and Linus Ullmark won Vezina Trophies while receiving Essensa's counsel. Jeremy Swayman scored an eight-year, $66 million contract because of his growth under Essensa. The personable Essensa is one of the organization's prized assets. Former interim coach Joe Sacco is leaving the organization for the New York Rangers, per league sources. He had been on staff since 2014, filling multiple roles, from overseeing the defense to the forwards to the penalty kill. He was been loyal at every turn. Assistant coach Jay Leach, a finalist for the position, could remain on the staff. The Bruins believe in the 45-year-old. The future of assistant coach Chris Kelly remains to be seen. Kelly was in charge of the power play in 2024-25. Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak are the alternate captains. Perhaps Hampus Lindholm will be in the mix, too, as part of the leadership group. They will be among the first wave of players to hear Sturm's pitch. It will be the leaders' job to absorb it, accept it and set the standard for their teammates to follow. Perhaps Sturm believes one of these players should replace Brad Marchand as captain. If so, that input will be considered by management as they make a decision. The Bruins have played zone defense for Sturm's four predecessors: Sacco, Jim Montgomery, Bruce Cassidy and Claude Julien. It has served them well. All the coaches believed zone incorporated the most fail-safes in case of breakdowns. The emphasis was the same: protect the front of the net. With McAvoy, Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, Andrew Peeke and Mason Lohrei on track to return, sticking with zone would allow the defensemen to maintain familiarity with the system. Zadorov, in particular, is most effective when holding his ground near the net and applying his reach and physicality. He is less of a defensive threat if he chases an opponent high in the defensive zone. Advertisement However, the Bruins allowed 3.30 goals per game last year while playing zone. Sturm may believe it is time to switch to man-to-man defense. Swayman took an important first step at the World Championship toward returning to his level. Multiple factors led to Swayman's run: being motivated to play for Team USA, making his bid to be on the 2026 Olympic team, playing with new teammates, getting away from Boston. But a critical component was Swayman's competition with Joey Daccord for the U.S. net. It was the same kind of partnership Swayman had with Ullmark for three seasons. Giving Korpisalo more of an opportunity to contend for the net should not hold Swayman back. It's understandable why Montgomery and Sacco gave Swayman starts that Korpisalo, in retrospect, probably deserved. They were desperate for results. They believed Swayman, if he got hot, gave them the best chance for wins. But nudging the workload closer to a 50-50 split, with Swayman still in the lead, could improve the position. It's Sturm's job to sell this to his goalies. General manager Don Sweeney can bring in all the offseason help he wants. But all of that means nothing if Swayman and Korpisalo don't stop more pucks. Sturm, like every coach, would welcome Mitch Marner onto his bench. How would he use the right wing? Would Marner be worth the investment of making him, perhaps, the NHL's highest-paid player? Or would Sturm prefer multiple players for better depth instead of a top-shelf barnburner? Morgan Geekie had a breakthrough season. It might not have been an outlier. If he continues playing with Pastrnak, Geekie could hit the 30-goal threshold again. Meanwhile, Geekie will reach restricted status on July 1. He is due for a big-time raise. Player and team will have different concepts when it comes to his compensation. But they should be in agreement about how critical the 26-year-old will be in the rebuild. It is always helpful for an employee to feel valued, especially when it comes time to talk contract. Advertisement Sacco seemingly hit upon a solution on the first unit: shifting Pastrnak away from his traditional left-elbow office to his strong side. This allowed Pastrnak to pull goalies his way and thread seam passes for Geekie to one-time from his old spot. Does this maximize both forwards' strengths? Or is taking away Pastrnak's one-timer leaving goals on the table? Sacco also liked Elias Lindholm in the bumper and Lohrei up top. Lindholm looks to be the best option in his position. But is McAvoy a better fit to run PP1 from the point? And which left-shot forward is the best option to be the right-side goal-line release for Pastrnak? Casey Mittelstadt or Pavel Zacha? The Bruins liked how Matt Poitras and Fraser Minten finished the AHL playoffs. The experience should optimize both centers to make strong pushes for varsity employment in training camp. Sturm's priority is to remind Poitras and Minten that they'll be given opportunities, but that neither will be rushed. Both players are too important for the organization's long-term objectives. (Photo of Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman: Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Seven Young Standouts At The Men's World Championship: Nazar, Cooley, Kasper And More
This year's men's World Championship featured some strong performances from younger players looking to make their mark on the international stage. After all, the World Championship is often the first time young players represent their countries at the senior level after playing at the U-18s or world juniors. It's also a great chance for young players to learn from wily vets attending the tournament. Heading to the Worlds after your NHL club misses the playoffs or falls out early is a chance to extend your season and get a few more games in. This year was even more interesting as it featured more than a handful of highly touted veterans, such as Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, David Pastrnak and Tage Thompson. Committing to the national team at the Worlds goes a long way when management considers who to choose for best-on-best events, such as the Olympics and World Cup of Hockey. Let's look at seven of the young guns at this event who built on solid seasons or put their name in the running for future senior-level international events. After a solid rookie season with the Hawks, Nazar took full advantage of going to the men's Worlds. He tied Logan Cooley with the most points on the gold-medal-winning Americans with 12 points in 10 games. Nazar's game features speed and downhill attacking as he consistently looks to put pressure on defenders. He's one of the most daring and creative young players in the game today, never seeing a unique play he isn't willing to at least try. The 21-year-old averaged almost half a point per game in Chicago, with 26 points in 53 games. If this tournament is a sign of things to come, the Blackhawks will be pretty pumped heading into next season. Utah is expecting a mammoth season from Cooley heading into next year, pun intended. He followed up a 65-point campaign in Utah's inaugural season by excelling as the No. 1 center on the American roster. Cooley plays with speed. He dictates the pace of play and always elevates the players on his line. Playing alongside Utah teammate Clayton Keller gave the U.S. a couple of players with instant chemistry as well. The youth movement on the American team was a very encouraging sign, with Cooley, Nazar, Will Smith, Zeev Buium, and so many others making their mark. Kasper had an unexpectedly solid rookie season in Detroit, and tying for first in scoring for Austria was an excellent way to cap the year. At 21 years old, Kasper has shown a maturity and 200-foot game that most teams have to drill into their young players. It's been a seamless transition into pro hockey for Kasper since his draft year in 2022, and playing against some top-level players at the Worlds put his complete game on display. Not only has he been a responsible presence down the middle, but he also helped Austria make the quarterfinals. Kasper will be a fixture in Austrian hockey for quite a while. Celebrini's stats didn't explode at the Worlds, with six points in eight games. That said, there may not be a player who benefited more in the long run from playing at this year's Worlds than the Sharks' rookie center. He played on a line with Sidney Crosby at times, and he watched the likes of Nathan MacKinnon and Ryan O'Reilly prepare and perform. That's all a major benefit for Celebrini, who said it felt like a whirlwind. There have been videos showing Crosby and Celebrini working on faceoffs or small details of the game, which should help make the teenager a better player heading into his sophomore season and beyond. Norway wasn't really a great team this year, but it had a couple of bright spots, and both were young, up-and-coming players. Michael Brandsegg-Nygard was very good up front, but the way Anaheim Ducks prospect Stian Solberg showed up at this event was impressive. He was physical, assertive with and without the puck, and he helped keep Norway from relegation. Solberg's four goals and six points led the team despite being a defenseman. He is very promising, and Ducks fans must be happy about the offensive chops he showed. Stepping into the lineup as a top-six center is not an easy task for a 20-year-old. When other teams boasted elite duos down the middle, such as MacKinnon and Crosby or even Cooley and Beniers, it's an even tougher task. Despite that, Denmark reached the bronze medal game, and Oscar Fisker Molgaard's play as a top-six center, often on the top line, was integral in getting them there. Fisker Molgaard pays close attention to the details of the game at both ends of the ice. The Kraken prospect's playmaking was impressive at this tournament, and playing down the middle allowed him to play in space and distribute out of the middle of the ice. USA Strikes Gold At The World Championship For First Time In 92 Years The year 1933. Playing a pivotal role for a strong Swedish squad, Leo Carlsson did everything asked of him and so much more. The 20-year-old went into the bronze medal game with eight points in nine games and added a pair of assists to help Sweden go home with a medal. Carlsson is a very adaptive player who can be a puck facilitator or finisher at a high level. His willingness to fight for the puck in battles and the skill he shows to slip out of trouble have been impressive. He could be poised for a massive season with the Ducks next year. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bruins star confident in management to make team better next season
The Bruins have a busy offseason ahead of them after a disappointing 2024-25 campaign in which Boston finished dead last in the Eastern Conference standings and missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2016. One of the first things the Bruins must tackle is their coaching situation. Joe Sacco took over in the interim after Jim Montgomery was fired in November. Sacco will be part of Boston's search, but the front office has been busy interviewing dozens of candidates. Advertisement The Bruins also need to replenish their roster with scoring help. Even with plenty of questions left to answer, David Pastrnak is confident in the front office to get the job done. 'We lost a couple players. We got some good talent. We have some draft picks. We are going to be much better,' the Bruins star told Aarin Vickers. 'I fully trust in the management, and I'm pretty sure and 100% positive we're going to be a much better team next year.' Boston finished 33-39-10 and dealt with of slew of problems throughout the season. Aside from losing two of its top defensemen in Hampus Lindholm (knee) and Charlie McAvoy (shoulder) for chunks of the season, Jeremy Swayman struggled in his first season as team's No. 1 goalie. Swayman went 22-29-7 with a 3.11 goals-against average and .892 save percentage. Advertisement Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov — the Bruins' two big offseason signings — struggled out of the gate. A lot went wrong for the Bruins from top to bottom. It's something Swayman believes will be corrected in the new season. 'Moving forward, that's not our standard. Our standard is much higher than what we had this year,' the goalie told Vickers. 'That's something that guys will come back with, a vengeance and have a chip on our shoulders. That's something we're excited about.' The Bruins have the No. 7 pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft next month and can start the re-tool of their roster. They could also be active on the restricted free agent market. Advertisement One thing Boston already took care of is giving general manager Don Sweeney a two-year extension. A lot can happen over the course of the summer, and it will be interesting to see how the Bruins address their problems. More Bruins content Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pair of Bruins having strong showing at World Championship
Elias Lindholm has carried his strong play from the end of the 2024-25 Bruins season into the World Championship. The center is tied for first in points with 10 and goals with six through in six games. Lindholm helped Team Sweden to a 4-0 win over Slovenia with a natural hat trick. Advertisement Lindholm, who signed a seven-year deal with the Bruins last offseason, got off to a slow start in his first year in Boston. He revealed during the team's end-of-season media availability that a back injury hindered him throughout the campaign before he amassed 15 points in Boston's final 16 games. David Pastrnak is also having a strong showing at the tournament. Representing Czechia, the Bruins forward has four goals and six assists in five games. Despite a trying season for the Bruins, Pastrnak was a bright spot for the team with 43 goals and 63 assists in 82 games. Aside from the offense, Pastrnak also took on a bigger leadership role after Brad Marchand was traded to the Florida Panthers during the NHL trade deadline. Jeremy Swayman, however, isn't having the same kind of success for Team USA. While he has a 1.95 goals-against average, Swayman's save percentage is .875 and has given up six goals in three games — including five goals on 18 shots against Norway. Advertisement Mason Lohrei has three points in five games and is a plus-4 for the Americans, while Andrew Peeke has an assist in six games. More Bruins content Read the original article on MassLive.
New York Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Why Anton Frondell is 2025 NHL Draft's most difficult top prospect to evaluate
Evaluating Anton Frondell ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft is anything but straightforward. Depending on who you ask in the NHL, he's either a future franchise center or a solid middle-six contributor. Scouts are split, with some seeing him worthy of a top-three selection, while others view him somewhere between six and 10. Advertisement The variance in opinion stems from Frondell's Jekyll-and-Hyde spectrum of performances over the past two years. All players have good games/events and bad ones, but Frondell's have been more pronounced than usual. On his best nights, Frondell looks like a player who can tilt the ice in his favor. His season in the Allsvenskan with Djurgården was a major selling point: 25 points in 29 games against men, production comparable to what William Nylander and David Pastrnak posted at similar stages and slightly behind Elias Pettersson's Allsvenskan numbers in his draft season. That's elite company and a big reason why some scouts are bullish on him. As a 16-year-old, his numbers in Sweden's top junior level were among the best in recent memory. On the international stage, he showed he could rise to the occasion, most notably at the U18 Five Nations tournament in February 2024, where he scored two clutch late goals to upset the United States on their home ice. Moments like that reinforce the belief that Frondell has the potential to be a true difference-maker. However, inconsistencies have clouded his evaluation. Despite strong performances in some tournaments, Frondell had forgettable showings in others, even against relatively modest competition. For instance, during the U18 Five Nations tournaments in both November and February, he was a mixed bag, producing some strong games but also disappearing at times. His production against U18 players was actually worse in his draft season than in his draft-minus-one season. At the 2024 World Junior A Challenge, he was solid but unspectacular as a 17-year-old, tallying just four points in five games against a fairly average talent pool. He also didn't even touch a point/game against in Sweden's top junior league in 10 games played this season. Advertisement During the spring playoffs with Djurgården, fellow draft-eligible Victor Eklund earned regular minutes, but Frondell's ice time shrank. After Djurgården secured promotion to the SHL, Frondell joined Sweden's roster at the U18 World Championship. Expectations were high, but he registered only three points in five games and didn't make a major impact, even though he faced strong opposition, arriving just in time for the medal round. Compared to draft-eligible peers like James Hagens and Porter Martone (who are late 2006s like Eklund while Frondell is a 2007), who dominated the previous year's tournament, Frondell's modest output stood out for the wrong reasons. The Frondell debate ultimately boils down to two interpretations of his skill set: Case for optimism: Frondell has NHL-caliber tools. He's a strong skater, a highly skilled puck handler and a player who competes hard and doesn't shy away from physicality. His shot is high-end, with a release and velocity that can beat NHL goalies from distance. He also has the playmaking ability to facilitate offense. Scouts who are high on Frondell view his production in the Allsvenskan as a sign that he can handle difficult competition and believe that with time, he will iron out the inconsistencies. There's also the matter of Frondell's season arc. He started slowly, partly due to injury, but found his stride in the second half against men. The Frondell bulls see a player similar to Anze Kopitar or Aleksander Barkov — a big, responsible, two-way center who can anchor a top line and a guy you win with in the playoffs. They also caution about overreacting to his U18 World Championships, as players who were great against men but had a bad tournament, such as Pastrnak and Martin Necas, tend to slide in their draft years after a poor ending to their season. Case for caution: On the flip side, skeptics point to the uneven performances, particularly internationally, and concerns about his hockey sense. In games where Frondell isn't at his best, he can fade into the background. On his off nights, he doesn't look like a true play driver and can be someone who leans on his linemates to get him the puck in scoring positions. This leads some to project him more as a very good second-line center who brings size, compete and scoring punch but doesn't consistently tilt the ice like a franchise player. Names like Bo Horvat and Anton Lundell are thrown around for this side of the coin — who are still excellent players, mind you. Colleague Max Bultman noted Frondell's inconsistencies are similar to those of Elias Pettersson in his draft season. Pettersson ended up becoming a great player but those issues have lingered in his NHL career. Frondell's evaluation ultimately comes down to the interpretation of the data. You can view the exact same information as someone else, and tilt your head in a slightly different direction to look at it and come to a different conclusion. If you believe his flashes of high-end production and mature, translatable game against men are signs of a potential hard-to-play-against No. 1 NHL center, he's worth a top-three pick and potentially the No. 2 pick after Erie's Matthew Schaefer. Advertisement If you're more concerned about his streakiness and lack of dynamic, game-breaking traits, he fits more comfortably as a top-six center — valuable, but not necessarily someone to form your rebuild around. Personally, I lean toward the latter camp. Frondell has the potential to be a very good second-line center on a contending team. He's skilled, strong and competes hard, but over two years of viewings, the high-end offensive displays haven't been consistent enough to put him in the same category as someone like Michael Misa, who is a better athlete and much more consistent producer. That said, Frondell is still an excellent prospect and a true premium young center talent. Frondell embodies the complexity of projecting 17-year-olds into the NHL. There are a lot of variables that go into the mix between the physical maturity, the offensive tools, the character and the body of work can comprise over 100 games at varying levels of competition with different levels of stakes. I won't blink if Frondell is the second player picked, and similarly I won't if he goes seventh. His resume has the highest degree of uncertainty this year among the top prospects in the 2025 NHL Draft.
