Depending on their performance before the March 7th trade deadline, the Boston Bruins could be sellers for the first time in a decade. Although they are only one point behind the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, MoneyPuck gives them a 14.9% chance of reaching the postseason, the sixth lowest in the East.
There is speculation that the Bruins may consider trading their captain, Brad Marchand, in the final year of an eight-year, $49 million contract extension signed in 2016. If Boston decides to entertain trade offers for him, Marchand would be one of the top players available on the rental market. Although his offensive production has slightly declined this season, with his average points per 82 games dropping from 67 to 63 compared to last year, he still ranks second on the team in scoring, with 20 goals and 44 points in 57 games.
On the podcast ’What Chaos!’, hosts D.J. Bean and Pete Blackburn felt that the trade speculation warranted asking Marchand for his perspective. The hosts specifically asked the Bruins captain how he would feel if he were to be traded to which Marchand replied, “Obviously, it would be very weird. I think I would feel very weird, probably a little lost. But I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it before. And I don’t really think about it, because it’s not something that I really see happening.”
The franchise’s active longest-tenured player would prefer to stay saying, “My goal is to play here forever. I love it here, and my family obviously loves it here. It’s all I know, and what I love most about it is that the expectations that are put on the group by — internally, just from management, ownership, from the team within — like the expectation to be good every year is what you want to be part of.”
Still, the Bruins front office hasn’t been shy to move on from long-term players in the past if the right deal is presented. Boston infamously traded away Milan Lucic and Dougie Hamilton at the 2015 NHL Draft, let long-time captain Zdeno Chara leave as an unrestricted free agent after the 2019-20 season, and moved goaltender Linus Ullmark to a division rival this past summer. As much as Marchand would like to stay a Bruin, the team may have other ideas about his future with the club.
The Bruins also walked away from one of the top 5 coaches in the league earlier this season, And they wonder why they are a mediocre franchise, It’s because Cling and Clang are running things, Two clueless alumni.
In more recent history, Boston has done a lot to retain their core superstars. Bergeron, Krejci, Rask, Pastrnak. Not saying there is zero chance Marchand is dealt, but I would find it highly unlikely. (Unless he ticked them off like Monty did.)
Brad Marchand isn’t the issue for Boston. He’s their second best point producer on the team behind only David Pastrnak. It’s players like Elias Lindholm, Trent Frederic and such that are failing Boston this season. They do need a retooling but is their management capable of it as that’s highly questionable based on how they’ve built this team so far.
I might not like his licking kissing etc but he has earned the right to end his playing career a Bruin.
Marchand could very realistically go to a serious contender at or near the deadline, And then resign with the Bruins this summer.
Why would he want to come back to the Boston dumpster fire? They’d probably trade him again next year when they’re certain to be sellers again.
Who knows, He actually doesn’t want to leave.
It sounds like Vegas or nowhere for Marchand.