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.

The roster underwent myriad changes throughout the season, and it left the leadership core in tatters. When the dust settled, Pastrnak was left standing.

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.