Pavel Zacha is well aware of the responsibilities set to fall on his shoulders this season.
But when it comes to replacing a franchise stalwart in David Krejci, the 26-year-old center is not skating blind into such a pivotal assignment.
One of the many surprises on a record-setting Bruins roster in 2022-23, Zacha surpassed his previous career-high in scoring by 21 points last winter — skating primarily at left wing alongside his fellow Czech countrymen in Krejci and David Pastrnak.
But a natural center by trade, Zacha was often the first man up to replace Krejci at 2C in the 12 games that Krejci missed during the regular-season slate.