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Brad Marchand

East Notes: Bruins, Hillman, Jenkins, Howe

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The Boston Bruins are unsurprisingly being more aggressive with some extension candidates this summer with the ongoing contract negotiations between the organization and goaltender Jeremy Swayman likely dragging into the regular season. Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub reported earlier this morning that Boston had already opened extension negotiations with forwards Brad Marchand, Morgan Geekie, and Trent Frederic.

There has seemingly been no movement with Swayman throughout the summer on a long-term contract leading the Bruins’ general manager Don Sweeney and the rest of the front office to take a more pragmatic approach for next summer. There was no word in the original report if any of the three players would be interested in continuing negotiations throughout the 2024-25 regular season. Still, Boston appears to be getting a head start on their asking price.

Marchand’s next contract will be one of the more interesting situations to see play out as he has arguably been playing on one of the biggest bargain contracts in the league over the last seven years. The Bruins signed Marchand to an eight-year, $49MM extension in 2016 and he’s scored 209 goals and 555 points in 495 regular season games over the life of that deal. Boston’s captain will be heading into his age 37 season on his next contract and it remains to be seen if Marchand will look for more salary with his prime years behind him.

Other East notes:

  • The New York Rangers added a bit of depth to their training camp roster earlier today by recalling Blake Hillman and Blade Jenkins from their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack (X Link). Both players are on AHL contracts for the 2024-25 season with the former being the only one with previous experience at the NHL level. Hillman has spent several years bouncing around the AHL but suited up in four games for the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2017-18 NHL while scoring one goal overall.
  • The WHL’s Regina Pats will be waiting with bated breath to determine the status of their captain, Tanner Howe. Howe, who was recently selected with the 46th overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, was pulled from today’s game against the Moose Jaw Warriors by the team’s medical staff with an undisclosed injury. Howe’s already skated in two games in the young WHL season scoring one goal overall after participating in the Penguins’ rookie camp over the summer.

East Notes: Michkov, Marchand, Sillinger, Giles

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If preseason is any indication, there won’t be many growing pains for Flyers prospect Matvei Michkov as he adjusts to playing in North America. The 2023 seventh overall pick put his stamp all over the Flyers’ first home win of the exhibition schedule last night, recording a secondary assist and scoring an empty-net insurance marker in a 2-0 victory over the Islanders, quite literally making all the game’s offense go through him one way or another.

“He’s been working really hard,” assistant coach Rocky Thompson said Thursday (via The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz). “You can tell within our practices and with our skating, he’s made a diligent effort. So, that’s good. He’s backchecking hard, he’s doing all those things. But, you can see his ability to make plays. He generated opportunities for his teammates, he scores himself tonight with a goal and an assist. Played good.”

Many worries about how Michkov might adjust to the NHL centered around a potentially rocky relationship with bench boss John Tortorellaregarding his all-around play. But he’s been complimentary of Michkov’s effort and willingness to go into one-on-one puck battles, calling him “certainly willing to be in the areas to go get the puck.”

More from the Eastern Conference:

  • If Bruins captain Brad Marchand has his way, Morgan Geekie will open the season on his right flank in second-line duties. “I love playing with Geeks,” Marchand told Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic. “He’s so great in some of the different areas, the way he can hold onto pucks and makes plays. Shoots it. Great in the corners. I think he really complements our line as well. We haven’t had a ton of reps together, so we’ll continue to work on it. But I’ve always really liked his game.” His assessment about not having a ton of reps together is correct – Geekie logged just 25 minutes of ice time last season with Marchand and Charlie Coyle, per MoneyPuck. The 26-year-old is on the upswing after a career-high 17 goals and 39 points for Boston last year but faces competition from 2021 first-round pick Fabian Lysell, whose preseason showing Marchand called “encouraging” but added there’s room for improvement.
  • The Blue Jackets might have a second Sillinger on their opening-night roster. 27-year-old Owen Sillinger, Cole Sillinger’s older brother, is among the leading candidates to snag a spot with Justin Danforth potentially not ready to start the season while recovering from wrist surgery, writes The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline. Sillinger spent the last two seasons with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters on minor-league deals and finished third on the team in scoring last season with 40 points (11 G, 29 A) in 69 games. That showing earned him a promotion to a two-way deal with Columbus this summer. He could briefly factor into a bottom-six role before likely landing on waivers when Danforth is ready to return.
  • Panthers prospect Patrick Giles finds himself in a similarly unexpected situation. The 24-year-old has been getting reps on Florida’s fourth line over the past couple days with Tomáš Nosek set to miss a few weeks and has a shot to open the campaign in the NHL, David Dwork of The Hockey News relays. An undrafted free agent signing out of Boston College in 2022, Giles stands at 6’4″ and 203 lbs and posted a career-high 13 goals and 23 points in 63 games last season for AHL Charlotte.

Atlantic Notes: Lysell, Marchand, Laine

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The Bruins opened rookie camp today without 2021 first-round pick Fabian Lysell. That’s by design, however, writes Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic. AHL Providence head coach Ryan Mougenel told Shinzawa that the organization wants Lysell “extremely ready” when veterans report to training camp next Wednesday, signaling Boston’s front office fully intends on Lysell pushing for a spot on the opening night roster.

“He knows how well he can play,” general manager Don Sweeney told Shinzawa. “He knows how much we were proud of the steps he had taken. He had a good camp last year. He’s just still got to continue to work on his complete game. One-on-one skills stuff and some of the stuff he can do to change a game are really good.”

Lysell, 21, is entering his third professional season but has yet to make his NHL debut. He’s been tearing up the farm under Mougenel in Providence, though. He finished fourth on the team in scoring last season with 50 points (15 goals, 35 assists) in 56 games.

The 21st overall pick three years ago remains a high-upside playmaking option for Boston at right-wing – a current position of weakness after Jake DeBrusk left for the Canucks in free agency. He’ll look to push players like Justin Brazeau, Trent Frederic, or Morgan Geekie down the depth chart to start the Bruins’ season opener in a second or third-line role.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Brad Marchand reaffirmed to reporters today that he expects to be ready for the Bruins’ season opener on Oct. 8 in Florida after undergoing a trio of offseason surgeries, per Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald. The captain revealed his injuries to the media early last week, disclosing that he underwent elbow, abdominal, and groin procedures over the past few months.
  • Canadiens AHL head coach Pascal Vincent told “The Sick Podcast” with Tony Marinaro that fresh trade acquisition Patrik Laine, whom he oversaw with the Blue Jackets last season, is the “most talented player he’s ever coached” (X link). It’s undoubtedly a bold assessment to make after Laine played just 18 games last season, Vincent’s only campaign at the helm in Columbus, but it gives a bit of optimism that the Habs have the internal tools to help Laine rediscover his 30-to-45-goal potential after an incredibly trying 2023-24 season for the Finnish winger.

Brad Marchand Underwent Multiple Offseason Surgeries, Expected To Be Ready For Season

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Bruins captain Brad Marchand underwent a trio of surgeries this summer, he told reporters at an informal skate Tuesday (via Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub). The winger may be slightly limited to start training camp later this month but expects to be ready for opening night, per Scott McLaughlin of WEEI.

The first procedure Marchand had done was to repair a torn tendon in his elbow that plagued him for the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign, he said. He also underwent abdominal and groin surgeries to repair injuries he sustained late in the regular season.

Those injuries barely cost Marchand any playing time. For the second time in his career, he played in all 82 regular-season games, but he missed two playoff games with what the team called an upper-body injury. That one was presumably addressed with abdominal surgery.

Marchand slowed offensively in 2023-24, but whether that was because of his injuries or age remains to be seen. The 15-year veteran is entering his age-36 season and posted 67 points (0.82 per game) last year, his lowest per-game rate since 2015-16. He still managed to finish second on the team in scoring behind David Pastrňák and helped lead the Bruins to their first playoff series win since 2021 in his first season as captain following Patrice Bergeron’s retirement.

He’ll reprise his top-six role this season, but likely not on a line with Pastrňák with free-agent signing Elias Lindholm down the middle. Marchand said he expects to start the year back on the team’s second line, centered by Charlie Coyle (via Conor Ryan of The Boston Globe).

It’s an important campaign for Marchand as he kicks off the final year of the eight-year, $49MM extension he signed back in 2016. General manager Don Sweeney said in May that signing Marchand to an extension was one of his top priorities this summer, but it hasn’t happened yet.

East Notes: Marchand, Hollowell, Norlinder

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While Jeremy Swayman’s contract situation is rightfully getting the attention in Boston right now, Ken Campbell of The Hockey News highlights the other contract of note the Bruins will have to work out, which is an extension for Brad Marchand.  At the time he signed his team-friendly deal that carries a $6.25MM AAV, the talk was about how their top players left some money on the table to keep the core together.  Since then, David Pastrnak ($11.25MM AAV) and Charlie McAvoy ($9.5MM AAV) have signed pricey deals with Swayman believed to be looking for $8MM or more as well.  While Marchand is nearing the end of his career (he’ll be 37 when his next contract starts), Campbell wonders if he could be inclined to look to maximize his potential earnings this time around.  He adds that there have been no discussions about an extension between the two sides so far.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • With the Penguins lacking right-shot depth on the back end, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wonders if free agent addition Mac Hollowell could be this year’s version of Ryan Shea. Shea didn’t have any NHL experience heading into last season but wound up playing in 31 games.  Hollowell does have six games at the top level under his belt with Toronto in 2022-23 but spent last season with AHL Hartford, notching 44 points in 64 games.  Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas is familiar with Hollowell from their time in Toronto which could help his cause this coming season.
  • Free agent defenseman Mattias Norlinder has decided to decline the offer the Canadiens made to him over the weekend, relays Expressen’s Gunnar Nordstrom. Montreal non-tendered the 24-year-old in June after a quiet season with AHL Laval that saw him record just nine points in 50 games.  Norlinder’s agent indicated that his client’s preference was to play in an environment that would allow him more freedom offensively which has him wanting to play with MoDo, an organization he spent several years with previously.  However, the team lacks the budget to sign him and announced the creation of a crowdfunding campaign to raise $1MM SEK (a little under $100K in USD) to be able to get Norlinder signed.

East Notes: Marchand, Okposo, Devils, McGuire

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Speaking with reporters yesterday including Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald at their season-ending media availability, Bruins GM Don Sweeney indicated that one of his goals this summer is to make captain Brad Marchand “a Bruin for life”.  The 36-year-old will be entering the final year of his contract next season, making him eligible for an extension as of July 1st.  Marchand had his second straight 67-point effort in 2023-24 and has notched at least 60 points in nine straight years.  His current deal carries a $6.125MM AAV and his performance since then should be enough to land a higher number although it’s possible that he opts for more of a team-friendly agreement.  Don’t expect this to be one of their top priorities, however, with Sweeney indicating that the front-burner issues (pertaining to next season’s roster) need to get taken care of first.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • In an interview with Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription link), Panthers winger Kyle Okposo noted that he’s not sure if this will be his final season. The 36-year-old has seen his production drop in recent years while he has had a limited role since joining Florida at the deadline following a trade from Buffalo.  With 12 goals and 10 assists during the regular season, Okposo will likely garner at least some interest in free agency but the offers will likely check in at a number closer to the league minimum of $775K instead of the $2.5MM guarantee he received last summer.  (That number will jump to $3MM if Florida wins the Stanley Cup.)
  • Before they hired Sheldon Keefe as their new head coach, the Devils interviewed Sharks assistant coach Ryan Warsofsky for the role, relays NJ Advance Media’s Ryan Novozinsky. Warsofsky has now interviewed for a pair of head coaching vacancies this offseason, also receiving an interview from San Jose.  Warsofsky has only been an NHL assistant for the last two seasons but does have head coaching experience with ECHL South Carolina and AHL Chicago.
  • The Capitals have invited center Ryan McGuire to development camp this summer, reports Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). The 21-year-old had a strong junior year at Colgate, notching 14 goals and 12 assists in 34 games but has elected to transfer to Northeastern next season.

Injury Notes: Hintz, Marchand, Trenin

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The Stars will be without first-line center Roope Hintz again as they try to dispatch the Avalanche in Game 6 tonight, head coach Peter DeBoer confirmed (via Corey Masisak of The Denver Post). He remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury, and DeBoer is “hopeful” he could play in a Game 7 or Game 1 of the Western Conference Final, depending on the result of tonight’s contest.

While he’s been centering the team’s de facto first line between Jason Robertson and a rotation of Joe Pavelski and rookie Logan Stankoven on his right wing, he hasn’t been their best center in terms of production or ice time. That honor goes to sophomore sensation Wyatt Johnston, who’s exploded for seven goals and 11 points in 12 games while averaging over 20 minutes per game. Hintz has still been serviceable, logging two goals and four assists in 11 games, but his lines have struggled to control possession quality. That’s not a huge issue on a Stars team that boasts the deepest attack in the West, however. The 27-year-old had 30 goals and 65 points in 80 games in the regular season after recording over a point per game last year.

Other updates as the second round nears its end:

  • Bruins captain Brad Marchand remains a game-time decision for tonight’s Game 6 against the Panthers but seems to be trending upward, per head coach Jim Montgomery (per The Boston Globe’s Conor Ryan). He’s missed the past two contests after sustaining an upper-body hit on a hit from Florida center Sam Bennett, which the Bruins managed to split with the Cats to stay alive. They head into Game 6 after an impressive road win to reduce Florida’s series lead to 3-2 with a chance to tie at home. Despite the multi-game absence, Marchand is still tied with Jake DeBrusk for the Bruins lead in playoff scoring with 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 10 games.
  • Avalanche winger Yakov Trenin will not play in Game 6 against Dallas after sustaining an upper-body injury on Wednesday, head coach Jared Bednar said (via NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding). He’s been given a day-to-day designation and hasn’t been ruled out for a potential Game 7 should Colorado win its second straight game tonight. Line rushes at this morning’s practice confirmed that veteran pivot Chris Wagner is likely to replace Trenin as the team’s fourth-line center as they try to draw the series even at three games apiece. Trenin, 27, is a pending unrestricted free agent and has one goal in 10 playoff games after being picked up from the Predators before the trade deadline.

Injury Notes: Marchand, Pesce, Kreider, Trenin

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Things are trending toward Bruins captain Brad Marchand returning to the lineup as they try and force a Game 7 against the Panthers on Friday night. He practiced with the team today and skated with the first power play unit, reports The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa, indicating head coach Jim Montgomery is preparing for him to be available. Montgomery later told reporters that Marchand remains day-to-day, but his status could change tomorrow (via NBC Sports Boston’s Ty Anderson).

Marchand missed Games 4 and 5 after Panthers center Sam Bennett laid out a controversial hit in Game 3, causing him to sustain an upper-body injury. The 35-year-old has been Boston’s best skater in these playoffs, tying for the team lead with 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 10 games. He hasn’t taken a minor penalty in the Florida series, only being assessed a 10-minute misconduct for his role in a third-period Game 2 melee after Brandon Montour scored shorthanded to put the Cats up 6-1.

The B’s dropped Game 4 without their captain but managed to escape Florida with a 2-1 win in Game 5 to keep their season alive. The Bruins are now 2-2 in potential elimination games this postseason after dropping Games 5 and 6 against the Maple Leafs in the first round despite taking a 3-1 series lead.

Other injury updates as we rapidly near the Conference Finals:

  • The Hurricanes will be without defenseman Brett Pesce as they try and stave off elimination for a third straight game against the Rangers tonight, head coach Rod Brind’Amour confirmed (via Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal). He’s ramped up practicing with the team as he tries to return from a lower-body injury, but he’ll miss his ninth straight contest. Pesce hasn’t played since sustaining the injury midway through Game 2 of Carolina’s first-round win over the Islanders. The pending unrestricted free agent averaged 20:17 per game in the regular season, his lowest usage since his rookie season in 2015-16 while posting three goals and 13 points in 70 games.
  • Rangers winger Chris Kreider was absent from practice yesterday due to maintenance, but it appears the team was underselling whatever’s going on. He confirmed to reporters he’ll play in Game 6, but likely isn’t 100 percent. Earlier this morning, he was downgraded to probable/uncertain for Game 6 tonight, head coach Peter Laviolette told reporters (including USA Today’s Vince Z. Mercogliano). Kreider did return to practice with the team at today’s morning skate, though, something Laviolette called “a real positive.” He had two goals and two assists in Games 1 through 3 against Carolina but has been held without a point in their Game 4 and 5 losses.
  • Avalanche checking forward Yakov Trenin is being evaluated for an upper-body injury after leaving last night’s Game 5 win over the Stars prematurely, Colorado Hockey Now’s Evan Rawal reported mid-game. Picked up from the Predators before the trade deadline, Trenin has one goal in 10 postseason games thus far and has played a smaller role than expected, averaging 10:36 per game. He’s also struggled in the faceoff dot while serving as their fourth-line pivot, winning only 43.6% of his draws. If he’s unable to play in Game 6 on Friday, expect veteran Chris Wagner to draw into the lineup. Wagner’s lone appearance came in their Game 1 overtime win over Dallas last week, logging 8:28 of ice time.

East Notes: Marchand, Sjalin, Rochester

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As expected, Boston Bruins’ captain Brad Marchand was not an option for the team tonight against the Florida Panthers, as he continues to work his way back from an upper-body injury (X Link). It will be the second straight game that Marchand has not been able to suit up, and he will not be able to help the Bruins stave off elimination this evening.

Although Marchand’s injury has been classified as an upper-body injury, it is more than likely he is dealing with a head injury. In the first period of Game 3, Marchand attempted to deliver a hit to Panthers’ forward Sam Bennett in between the benches and quickly fell to the ice. Slowly getting back to Boston’s bench, alternate footage of the incident showed that during the play in question, Bennett appeared to throw a punch, making contact with Marchand’s head.

Currently battling in an elimination game, the play in question could potentially mark an unceremonious end to Marchand’s season. Throughout the first two rounds of this year’s playoffs, Marchand has led the Bruins in scoring, putting up three goals and 10 points in 10 games played.

Other East notes:

  • As previously rumored, Buffalo Sabres’ prospect, Calle Sjalin, has decided to sign with Rögle BK of the Swedish Hockey League (X Link). Despite being a solid contributor during his last season in the SHL, Sjalin never got much of an opportunity throughout his time in North America, appearing in only 70 AHL games over two seasons. Without much productivity throughout his tenure in the Panthers organization, Sjalin was traded to the Sabres organization this past deadline in a deal that sent team captain Kyle Okposo to the Sunshine State.
  • Staying in the Sabres organization, Buffalo beat writer Bill Hoppe reports that Rochester Americans assistant coaches Vinny Prospal and Nathan Paetsch will be staying in the organization, and one may even become the next head coach. The team’s most recent head coach, Seth Appert, has been named an assistant coach for the Sabres for the 2024-25 NHL season, leading to the vacancy behind the bench.

East Notes: Sweeney, Marchand, Wheeler

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Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic is reporting that Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney had some harsh words today for the National Hockey League after the Bruins’ 3-2 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 4 of their second-round series. Sweeney was upset that several Bruins players, as well as head coach Jim Montgomery, had to talk with the media about why the league overturned a goaltender interference challenge while none of the on-ice officials were made available.

Sweeney added to his comments saying that he felt it wasn’t right to have a head coach answer media inquiries about their feelings toward the officiating. Sweeney finished his point by saying if people want transparency, then the NHL should have the officials talk to the media to provide their interpretation of the goaltender interference rule.

While Sweeney isn’t the first person to say that the officials should be held to account by the media, he did say it is something that general managers have discussed. Sweeney is also the latest to voice his displeasure with the NHL’s handling of goaltender interference. The rule has become something that has confused fans and players alike and is surely going to be looked at by the league very soon.

In other Eastern Conference notes:

  • Bruins captain Brad Marchand remains day-to-day (according to Conor Ryan of Boston.com) but did skate with the team this morning and will travel to Florida for Game 5. Boston’s offense could certainly use Marchand after the Bruins’ scoring has disappeared since a 5-1 victory in Game 1. Boston has scored just five times in the past three games, playing the last game and a half without their playoff leader in scoring. Marchand has two assists in the series against the Panthers and has posted three goals and seven assists in ten playoff games this year.
  • ESPN’s Emily Kaplan is reporting that New York Rangers forward Blake Wheeler is roughly 2-3 weeks ahead of schedule as he recovers from a devastating leg injury he suffered back in February. Wheeler was expected to be able to play around June 1st, but with his recovery time being pushed up, he could become an option if the Rangers advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. Wheeler has been pushing hard to return and was no longer wearing a red noncontact jersey when he practiced with the team today.

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