Bruins' Brad Marchand expected to return to lineup before Thanksgiving

Boston Bruins star Brad Marchand will be back on the ice sooner than expected. 

After undergoing surgery on both hips back in May, Marchand's rehab timetable had him slated for a return sometime after Thanksgiving. However, according to head coach Jim Montgomery, Marchand is ahead of schedule. 

"He's going to play before Thanksgiving," Montgomery told reporters. "As you can tell, he's starting to look good out there." 

While Montgomery said he didn't expect the four-time All-Star to play "tomorrow," Marchand believes he's on the right track.  

"Getting closer, for sure," Marchand said. "Every time I get out there with the full team and do the full team practices, it's different...definitely every day, getting closer." 

A key member of the Bruins' 2011 Stanley Cup winner, Marchand showed he has plenty left in the tank after another strong campaign in 2021-22. Last season, he finished first on the Bruins with 80 points (32 goals, 48 assists) over 70 regular-season games. For Marchand, it's the fifth time over the last six seasons he's tallied 80 points or more, with the only outlier being 2020-21, which was shortened to just 56 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The 14-year veteran has already secured his spot among the greats in Bruins franchise history. Over 13 seasons with Boston, Marchand ranks sixth in goals (351), seventh in points (795), ninth in assists (444) and 10th in games played (874).