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With Pastrnak Experiment Over, Chiarelli Has To Look Elsewhere For Roster Help

BOSTON (CBS) -- The Bruins eased forward David Pastrnak into the lineup by skating him for just 7:53 in his NHL debut Nov. 24.

Four nights later coach Claude Julien unleashed Pastrnak, who rewarded the Bruins' faith in him with a game-high seven shots on net in 17:02 of ice time.

However, the Bruins' four-game Western Conference road trip upped the amount of ruggedness in Boston's opponents and life got tougher for Pastrnak. His ice time decreased in the first three games from 16:00 to 15:34 to 13:37. He went from playing with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand on the Bruins' top line to playing with Chris Kelly and Matt Fraser on a glorified fourth line to not playing at all as a healthy scratch against Arizona Coyotes.

Wisely the Bruins returned Pastrnak to Providence of the American Hockey League upon returning from the road. In his five-game audition, Pastrnak was everything – positive and negative – that was advertised about him.

The 18-year-old showed an addiction to shooting and an undying desire to make something happen offensively. He'd already shown that with 18 points in 17 games for Providence.

He showed some awareness defensively. He showed the type of guts that will pay off for him big time when he becomes a Bruins regular, although his bragging to reporters during the road trip that he likes to get hit was a bit disconcerting. Pastrnak needs to continue to absorb hits when necessary. But he also has to learn to be more elusive and at least use angles to maintain leverage and lessen the brunt of hits, especially until he's in his early 20s and fully built into a man.

Pastrnak also showed that he's not strong enough to consistently win battles. He also still tends to force plays rather than make the safe play when it's the better bet. In the end, Pastrnak wasn't ready to be an NHL regular.

"I think if he was right now, I think we as a group would've kept him here," Julien said after practice at TD Garden on Tuesday. "I don't think you've seen the last of him either. I think from the start of the season to now he's made some huge strides. And just the one thing that I think he really has to work on, and probably it's be better for him to work on right now in the American League, is trying to get on the inside. You know [there are] big, strong guys in this league and it's OK to have some speed, it's OK to be a playmaker. But if he's going to produce for us, he's going to have to find ways to get on the inside. You know he can definitely get a little stronger. He's only 18 years old, so we know he will. And that's just a matter of time. But at the same time it's getting that experience about working on that part and you know I'm still really happy here that we got to see him."

It was definitely worth a shot to throw Pastrnak to the wolves and see how he survived. Had he not been injured in training camp, maybe Pastrnak's first NHL taste would've come at the beginning of the season rather than around the quarter mark. I might've waited until after the trip out west to let him avoid some of the heaviest teams in the league. Chiarelli and the Bruins disagreed.

But Pastrnak had to get a look at some point. That's why the Bruins kept him in North America rather than sending him back to the Swedish Elite League. And with the team desperate for goal scoring both because of David Krejci's injury and general manager Peter Chiarelli's failure to put together any semblance of a roster that could make up for Jarome Iginla's departure, Pastrnak was as good a pick as anybody to get the nod.

Luckily, the Bruins were smart enough to not keep him around beyond the point where being in the NHL would be a detriment to his development. Julien spoke Tuesday about wanting to develop Pastrnak "the right way" and at 18, that doesn't including being a healthy scratch, playing on the fourth line or getting plowed over three times a night in NHL action. It's about going back to the AHL and taking what he learned in the NHL and trying to dominate the lower level even more. It might also be about helping the Czechs challenge for a medal at the World Junior Championship later this month.

Depending on injuries and other personnel matters, Pastrnak might get another look or two at the NHL level this season. But now the Bruins know for certain that Pastrnak is not the answer to their offensive problems in 2014-15. They're still in the same place they were when Iginla left for Colorado. Even with an Iginla replacement, they still might've been a little bit thin up front in terms of production.

It's up to Chiarelli to swing a deal soon. Buffalo's Chris Stewart and Drew Stafford, and Edmonton's David Perron might not be difference makers. Edmonton's Jordan Eberle would probably demand a steep price. There are other players Chiarelli saw on his scouting trip last week that would have varying levels of impact on the Bruins' lineup. There's a lot on Chiarelli's plate to weigh, but he can no longer brag about Pastrnak as some kind of secret weapon he's waiting to spring on the opposition later this season.

Pastrnak needs more seasoning and the Bruins now have to look elsewhere for help. It's up to Chiarelli to get something done soon before the Bruins are chasing the wild card spot they currently hold.

Matt Kalman covers the Bruins for CBSBoston.com and also contributes to NHL.com and several other media outlets. Follow him on Twitter @TheBruinsBlog.

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