Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand remains focused on the season despite ongoing trade speculation surrounding his future with the only team he's ever played for.
As the Bruins have struggled to climb up the standings, carrying a 27-24-6 record into the 4 Nations Face-Off break and sitting outside of the postseason picture, TSN's Darren Dreger suggested on Friday that Marchand could consider leaving Boston in free agency or via trade.
Dreger compared Marchand's situation to that of Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh after he committed to the Penguins by signing a two-year extension amid endless rumors and speculation about his future.
“[Crosby], an iconic figure in the sports landscape of Pittsburgh, (is) no different than a Brad Marchand for the Boston Bruins,” Dreger said on First Up. “Those players take a high level of pride in playing with the same organization.
"So it's on both those guys and probably more of a point on Marchand as his contract is expiring (If) he wants to see if Colorado is a fit, see if another contender has a fit...
"If not the trade deadline, then in free agency this summer."
Marchand, 36, is in the final season of his eight-year, $49 million contract. His future with the Bruins remains uncertain as the team sits sixth in the Atlantic Division.
The Bruins captain, however, does not appear to be concerned with the speculation. Speaking to Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com on Sunday, Marchand reiterated that he has a strong relationship with the Bruins management and doesn’t expect a sudden move.
“At the end of the day, if they wanted to trade me, that’s obviously well within their right,” Marchand said. “But I feel like that’s something that we would have a conversation about. I don’t think that’s something they would just do on a whim.”
"I think I'd feel very weird...probably a little lost...I don't really think about it cause it's not something that I really see happening"
— What Chaos! (@WhatChaosShow) February 11, 2025
Brad Marchand on the possibility of being traded by the Bruins pic.twitter.com/sFtsiSpQeV
On the "What Chaos!" podcast, Marchand acknowledged how quickly trade rumors can spread but dismissed them as something beyond his control.
“All it takes is one article or one person making a comment... and then it kind of takes off from there,” Marchand said. “I try not to get caught up in it.”
All of the above said, Sportnet's Elliotte Friedman noted that Marchand’s future may depend on Boston’s performance over the next few weeks leading up to the March 7 deadline.
“If Boston takes on water I’m really gonna be curious to see where this goes,” Friedman said. “There was a time in this year where I didn’t think there was a chance that Marchand was going to be out, and I think now it’s not as certain depending on what happens here.”
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