BOSTON -- Even though the Bruins have recalled first-round pick David Pastrnak from Providence, coach Claude Julien said he sill hasn’t decided whether the rookie will make his NHL debut Monday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins at TD Garden.
“All I can tell you is we’ve got some game-time decisions, like usual,” Julien said. “With everything that’s going on, it’s hard for me to confirm certain players right now.”
Pastrnak participated in the team’s morning skate and was on the right wing with center Alexander Khokhlachev, while Jordan Caron and Seth Griffith split time on the left side. Afterward, Pastrnak said it’s been a confusing but exciting 24 hours since he was told of his promotion to Boston.
“I’ve never had this before, so I can’t describe it,” he said.
“It’s cool. I’m happy that I got this opportunity to come here. I don’t know if I’m playing, but practicing with those guys I think is great, so I’ll enjoy it.”
The 18-year-old Pastrnak, the youngest player in the AHL, has five goals and 13 assists for 18 points in 17 games for the P-Bruins. He also has a plus-12 rating in his first year as a pro. He did not play in Providence's 5-4 loss to the Springfield Falcons on Sunday afternoon at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence.
Julien said Pastrnak has improved a lot during his stint in Providence and that he now has a better understanding of the North American game. The one area the Czech Republic native has been focusing on is his defensive play.
“We know dynamically he makes things happen. He’s a skilled player and can score goals,” Julien said. “We don’t expect perfection, but you’ve got to be at least a little bit reliable defensively. That’s what he’s been working on [in Providence] and he’s gotten better.”
The Bruins selected Pastrnak with the 25th pick in last June’s draft. Because of his impressive skill set, there was talk about him possibly making the Bruins’ roster out of training camp. But the 6-foot, 167-pounder suffered a left shoulder injury on the first day of camp and was limited to only two preseason games.
When camp broke, Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli decided it would be best for Pastrnak’s development to send him to Providence so the organization could better assess his ability.
At the time, Pastrnak needed to agree to the AHL assignment, which he did.
“It was really good,” he said. “I like a lot of guys there. They are all good friends to me and it was fun to be there. I got a lot of experience from there, too.”
To make room for Pastrnak’s cap hit of $925,000, the Bruins placed captain Zdeno Chara on long-term injury reserve. Chara has been sidelined with a torn ligament in his left knee, but skated Monday morning for the first time since Oct. 23.
If Pastrnak plays Monday night, the Bruins will have a nine-game window to decide whether to keep him in Boston. If he returns to Providence before that nine-game window expires and doesn’t play more than nine games with the parent club, he could finish the season with the P-Bruins and his entry-level contract would slide and begin with his first NHL season. He could also return to play in the Swedish Elite League, which at this point doesn’t appear to be the case.
