Sidelined since February with a shoulder injury, McAvoy said he’d heard that Pastrnak was just as good behind the scenes, too. With Marchand, Coyle, and others gone, the Bruins needed Pastrnak to assume a louder leadership role.

David Pastrnak has known for weeks that Game 82 would be the end of the line for the Boston Bruins. But when the end came Tuesday in a 5-4 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils, the reality of the situation hit Pastrnak hard.

The 2024-25 Boston Bruins season is finally over, and by any measure, it was a disappointment. Just a year ago, the team knocked off the Toronto Maple Leafs in dramatic fashion in the first round of the NHL playoffs.