The Boston Bruins are suddenly open to trading their captain Brad Marchand, marking a dramatic shift for one of the NHL’s most stable franchises.
It’s a move that would’ve seemed unthinkable just weeks ago. Marchand himself has said he wants to stay in Boston, even without a contract extension locked in.
But things change fast in hockey. The Bruins are now actively listening to trade calls about their star winger, according to TSN and The Athletic’s Chris Johnston.
The team’s recent struggles have forced some tough decisions. They’ve gone 3-5-2 in their last 10 games and are dealing with injuries to key defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy.
Their playoff chances? Not looking great. MoneyPuck gives them just a 5% shot at making the postseason, even though they’re only three points out of a spot.
Making things even more complicated, Marchand himself is currently sidelined. He’s week-to-week with an upper-body injury after taking a massive hit from Pittsburgh’s Pierre-Olivier Joseph last weekend.
The Bruins have already started selling off pieces, sending Trent Frederic to Edmonton earlier this week. But they’re not stopping there.
Word is they’re willing to move other key players too – guys like Charlie Coyle, Pavel Zacha, and Brandon Carlo, who all have time left on their contracts.
Trading Marchand would be different though. He’s their longest-serving player and the last guy left from their 2011 Stanley Cup team. Moving him would signal something bigger than just a roster refresh – we might be looking at a full rebuild.
Here’s what makes this interesting: Boston could get a huge return for Marchand. We’re talking multiple first-round picks or similar valuable assets. For a team with one of the NHL’s weakest prospect pools, that’s pretty tempting.
They could even retain half of Marchand’s $6.125M salary to make him more attractive to teams tight against the salary cap.
It’s all happening pretty fast. Just yesterday morning, Johnston had Marchand ranked 37th on his trade board. Now he’s suddenly one of the biggest names potentially available.
