Brad Marchand trade rumors are intensifying as the Bruins listen to offers. Will the captain be moved before the NHL trade deadline? (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
As Brad Marchand prepares for the Four Nations Face-Off and what could be his final time playing for his country, he continues to be the subject of NHL trade rumors.
Unless someone from the Bruins’ front office comes out and states that he won’t be traded, the NHL trade speculation surrounding Marchand will only intensify as the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline approaches.
“They’re getting calls on [Marchand], and teams are wondering what they’re going to do here, but, at this point, I think they’re just listening,” an NHL executive source told RG. “Still, the fact that the Bruins or Marchand haven’t come right out and squashed this like they have in the past is telling. With things also being so quiet on contract talks, it tells you this is getting real.”
The source stressed, though, that the Bruins are by no means looking to trade their captain and one of the most popular players of the last decade just yet.
“They’ll take the break to get on the same page with him and see what he thinks and go from there,” said the source.
“The fact they’re listening, though, means that, if they can’t find common ground over this break, it becomes more than listening when they return from break.”
Another source, even closer to the situation, confirmed this on Tuesday night.
“There’s players they’re shopping and he’s not one of them right now,” the source told RG.
Following a 6-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 30, Marchand was asked directly about the growing NHL trade speculation surrounding him. As the source above references, he didn’t squash it but instead deferred to general manager Don Sweeney and the Bruins' hockey operations department.
“The only thing we can do is focus day-to-day,” Marchand said almost two weeks ago. “They're going to do what they feel is necessary for the team. All we can do is worry about our play. We can't control any decision that is going to be made. I'm not really worried about what's being said in the media. At the end of the day, like I said, they're going to make the decisions for the group they feel necessary. I have no control over that, so I'm going to worry about what's going on here. Playing for this group. As long as I'm here on the Boston Bruins, that's all I'm worrying about.”
Then, appearing on the TNT second intermission show during his team’s 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers last Wednesday, Sweeney indicated that the Bruins are at least ready to become hybrid sellers if not sellers heading into the March 7 trade deadline.
High Level Of Interest Across the NHL
Marchand, who turns 37 in May, can become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his illustrious NHL career on July 1. With a goal in a 4-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, Marchand notched his 20th goal of the season and has now lit the lamp 20 times or more in 12 straight seasons. He’s hit the 20-goal plateau 14 times overall and eclipsed the 30-goal mark five times in 1,086 regular season games. So what would the Bruins be asking for if Marchand hits the NHL trade market, and what could he fetch?
The opinions varied. The source above expects Sweeney to ask for a first-round pick and top prospect, and believes he can get that. Meanwhile, another NHL source wasn’t so sure and believes it all depends on whom the acquiring team is.
“I honestly think it will be very situational,” this source opined to RG. “For instance, I keep hearing that Colorado is very interested in him. Well, they don’t have a first-round pick this year. Of course, Sweeney could ask for a 2026 pick, or he and [Chris] MacFarland (Avalanche GM) can get creative. Is Marchand, at this point, coming off of surgery and a strange season, even worth a first-round pick right now? I don’t know. It’s all about the team that wants him and the market the Bruins are able to build.”
On top of the Avalanche, the Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, and Dallas Stars are all teams that have been mentioned to RG as interested parties to any potential Marchand trade.
Also, on Monday, a well-placed source confirmed that the Vegas Golden Knights will be another serious trade suitor for Marchand. The Knights are said to be awaiting word from Boston before engaging in any serious trade talks, but an answer is expected soon.
If the Bruins do decide to go down that path, they will certainly not be lacking suitors.
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James Murphy
