The Boston Bruins officially began a new era in their franchise history at the March 7 trade deadline. Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo, and former captain Brad Marchand were all dealt to new teams in the Bruins' fire sale.
Following the Bruins' impressive 4-0 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 8, Bruins superstar David Pastrnak opened up about the team's monster roster overhaul.
"It's been very tough, emotional, sad," Pastrnak said. "I lost, personally, three really close friends. Very tough pill to swallow. We not only lost big leaders on this team but great human beings... I'm not going to lie, when I woke up today, I honestly thought it was a dream. Yesterday, with so much going on, today the reality really hits. That, I would say, was a little harder this morning."
Pastrnak was teammates with Marchand, Carlo, and Coyle for several years, so it is understandable that he has been hit hard by their departures. This is especially the case regarding Marchand, as Pastrnak had No. 63 as his teammate for all 11 of his NHL seasons before the trade.
However, with Marchand, Coyle, and Carlo gone, Pastrnak and defenseman Charlie McAvoy will now need to take on bigger leadership roles moving forward.
-1741333310-q80.webp "Are The Rangers A Sleeper Team In The Mikko Rantanen Sweepstakes?")
