With time winding down until the Boston Bruins open the 2023-24 season, their roster is taking shape after undergoing many changes over the summer. As part of looking ahead to the coming NHL season, we’ll look at the Bruins’ roster and see what we can expect from them during the upcoming campaign.
Today, we look at the Bruins’ forward group, starting at the center position with Pavel Zacha. After debuting with the Black and Gold last season, he fit in seamlessly with the Bruins. The fact that head coach Jim Montogomery placed him on a line with fellow Czech natives David Pastrnak and David Krejci also helped, as the line provided plenty of offense throughout the season.
Zacha Labeled a Bust Too Early
Drafted sixth overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils, Zacha returned to the Sarnia Sting in the Ontario Hockey League for the 2015-16 campaign. The 6-foot-4 center had a strong season with 28 goals and 36 assists for 64 points in 51 games with the Sting. He also showed some early promise by debuting with the Devils and registering two assists in his first NHL game.
During the following season, Zacha made the permanent jump to the NHL, playing in 70 games with the Devils and scoring eight goals and 16 assists for 24 points. His rookie season was not terrible by any means, but it also left more to be desired from such an early draft selection. The Devils hoped Zacha would progress, but his numbers didn’t change much over the following two seasons. In 2017-18, he scored eight goals and 17 assists for 25 points in 69 games; in 2018-19, he scored 13 goals and 12 assists to finish with 25 points again.
By his fourth season, Zacha finally hit the 30-point mark with 32 points in 65 games. In 2020-21, it looked like he was turning into the player the Devils had hoped for when they drafted him. While playing the best hockey of his career through 50 games during the shortened 56-game season, he scored 17 goals and added 18 assists for 35 points.
Related: Bruins’ 2023-24 Player Projections: Kevin Shattenkirk
However, when the NHL resumed the following year, Zacha regressed from scoring 0.70 points-per-game (P/G) to 0.50 P/G with 36 points through 70 games in 2021-22. That season marked the end of his time with the Devils, and many critics declared him a draft bust after being selected so high. With his contract expired and his status as a restricted free agent, the Devils traded him to the Bruins in exchange for Erik Haula.
Zacha Reaches New Heights With Bruins
As it turns out, a change of scenery was good for the 26-year-old, as he set new career highs across the board in his first season with the Bruins. After signing a one-year deal worth $3.5 million in August 2022, Zacha joined the Bruins, whose roster also included a handful of countrymates from Czechia. This made the transition to a new city much easier and it reflected on the ice.
Montgomery decided to utilize Zacha alongside Pastrnak and Krejci to form the “Czech-Mate” line, and the chemistry was undeniable. Much like many of the players Pastrnak has played on a line with in the past, Zacha responded with a career-high 21 goals and 36 assists for 57 points while appearing in all 82 games last season.
His solid play earned him a well-deserved contract extension as Don Sweeney signed him to a four-year, $19 million contract worth $4.75 million annually. The signing may have foreshadowed that Zacha was in the Bruins’ long-term plans for the center position with Patrice Bergeron and Krejci retiring.
What Bruins Can Expect From Zacha This Season
With the retirements mentioned above of Bergeron and Krejci, Zacha is set to receive a much more significant role in the coming season. Between him and Charlie Coyle, the two have some huge shoes to fill, but we did get a taste of life after Bergeron and Krejci at times last season. Zacha was able to step up to the plate admirably with the former Bruins captain out of the lineup. While his role will be even more pivotal to the Bruins’ success at five-on-five, you can expect Zacha to also play an increased role on the Bruins’ powerplay.
Related: Bruins 2023-24 Player Projections: Hampus Lindholm
Additionally, with Pastrnak coming off a 60-goal campaign, the Czechs will continue to thrive on a line together regardless of who joins them on the other wing. It could be free agent signing James van Riemsdyk, Jake Debrusk, or even Brad Marchand, who joins the line this season. It’s reasonable to expect Zacha to continue to progress and reach heights even higher than we saw last season. Look for him to push the envelope and surpass the 60-point mark for the first time in his career, with a stat line of around 26 goals and 37 assists for 63 points.
