This past offseason the Boston Bruins needed to find a way to retool their roster but had limited cap space to make a big splash in free agency. The money was required to signed Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci but general manager Don Sweeney knew he need to add other players to make this team complete.
With limited options, Sweeney did what Sweeney does best, he hit the trade market looking to make a swap that would help the Bruins improve. Through the first 27 games of the 2022-2023 season, the mid summer deal has paid huge dividends for Boston.
Sweeney was able to turn a aging veteran on an expiring deal into a versatile forward who is a former 6th overall pick. Dealing Erik Haula to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Pavel Zacha has been a steal so far.
While Zacha didn’t meet expectations over his first seven seasons in New Jersey, the talent level was still there and a change of scenery was necessary for the young forward. Since arriving in Boston he has taken his performance to a higher level as he understands what is expected out of him by the veteran core.
One of the areas the Bruins needed to address this offseason was their 5-on-5 scoring, as it was a weakness for last season’s team. They finished 15th in 5-on-5 goals scored and struggled mightly against the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the playoffs when at even strength.
This season has been much better for the black and gold as they currently rank 10th in 5-on-5 goals so far this season and Zacha has played a significant role in helping to achieve that. Zacha ranks third on the Bruins in 5-on-5 scoring with 13 points and his 12 5-on-5 assists are three more than any other Boston player. His impressive playmaking ability has been on full display as he showcases it each game.
The change in scenery has been a major help to Zacha’s game and stats as he is now producing 2.17 assists per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, compared to 1.03 last season. It’s not only his playmaking that has seen a major jump either as he’s scoring 1.09 points per 60 minutes, which is more than double his 0.58 rate with the Devils in 2021-22.
What stands out the most is his ability to create quality scoring chances for his teammates which has been a major benefit for this team. Watching the Bruins play, just shows you the type of unselfish style that has allowed this team to flourish up and down the line up whether it be the top line or the fourth.
One major takeway about Zacha’s skill set is his versatility which has allowed him to be effective at left wing, right wing and center. With two older centers anchoring your top two lines his ability to slide into the middle and be comfortable keeping the offense churning is a major plus for this team.
The Bruins have seen this their last two games with David Krejci sidelined and Zacha sliding into the second line center spot and they haven’t missed a beat as they have won both games. A 3-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights and a 4-3 shootout win over the New York Islanders. Zacha recorded 3 assists across both games showcasing no matter where you line him up he will produce.
“I always feel trust from coaches when they’re trusting you playing wing or center, important minutes, in lines like this,” Zacha told reporters after beating the Golden Knights. “It’s the trust from the coaches that I feel, and I’m just trying to do my best in every role I get on the team.”
One of the people that puts a lot of focus on versatility is head coach Jim Montgomery who had this to say about his team:
“We’re very fortunate. We’ve got a lot of guys that can play different positions. We’ve got some guys that can play all three (forward spots). That allows you to see who’s going, put those guys together and hopefully things happen, and that did (Saturday night),” Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters after the Vegas win.
Zacha has been solid all season as he’s recorded three goals and 16 assists for 19 points in 28 games. This would be put him on pace for 55 points over a full season which would be 19 more points than his previous career high of 36 points which he set last year.
