David Pastrnak could be the NHL's next 50-goal scorer.
The Boston Bruins winger has tallied 10 goals and seven assists through nine games, and B's President Cam Neely thinks the 23-year-old will reach the 50-goal mark this season provided he doesn't get too greedy.
“You see his skill, his hands and his vision, and if he doesn’t get too selfish, then yes,” Neely told The Athletic's Joe MacDonald.
Neely would know a little something about notching 50 goals in a season -- he did so three times with the Bruins.
“If you’re a goal scorer, 50 is always something you’d like to achieve,” Neely said. “You can’t start focusing on the number as much as making sure you’re doing the right things and then, obviously, getting your chances.”
Although reaching the prestigious mark is something on his mind, Pastrnak said he could've had a 50-goal season in the 2018-19 campaign if he hadn't sustained a thumb injury that kept him out of the lineup for 16 games.
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“I could’ve last season if I stayed healthy,” Pastrnak said. “My biggest focus (now) is to be healthy and be 100 percent so I can work on my game and be better every day, and you can’t obviously do that if you’re hurt.”
If Pastrnak can tally 50, he'd join Neely, Phil Esposito, Johnny Bucyk, Ken Hodge and Rick Middleton as the only Bruins to ever accomplish the feat. If he and his linemates remain healthy, it's likely that he'll go a bit beyond that mark.
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