Brad Marchand. John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Brad Marchand comments on Boston exit, throws Bruins under the bus

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 7:30 PM ET

Brad Marchand left the Boston Bruins at the 2025 trade deadline, and he's finally opened up on how things ended, throwing the team under the bus in the process.

After spending his entire career with the Boston Bruins, Brad Marchand was moved by the team at the 2025 NHL trade deadline, and thus far, he's proved that he's capable of thriving in Florida.

However, it appears as though Marchand never quite expected things to play out the way that they did. He revealed that he didn't expect to enter the 2024-25 season without a new deal, something the Bruins didn't want to give him.

"I didn't really expect to have the contract negotiations that I had. I thought that was going to go a lot different, which obviously I think impacted me mentally this year a lot. And I was frustrated by it. I never pictured even entering the season without a contract."

Marchand would expand on that, explaining how difficult it is for players entering a contract year and how it can affect them, noting that it forces you to be selfish, throwing the Bruins under the bus for allowing things to get this far.

"I didn't really want to play contract years out because I never really wanted to have that stress. I always wanted the security of maybe take a little less and you get a deal done early and you have the security of it being done and you can just worry about playing hockey.

"I find when you go into a season playing (without a contract), things matter. Your stats matter more. So, it doesn't just become about the team. When you're on term and you're on a contract, it can be all about the team and you can sacrifice whatever you need to to be part of the team. But in contract years, you can't do that. You have to be a little bit selfish."

Ultimately, this move has been the best thing for Marchand's career, and with these latest comments, it would be very surprising if he ever considered returning to the Boston Bruins in free agency.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

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