Despite persistent trade rumors about his future with the only organization he has ever played for, Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand is still focused on the season. TSN’s Darren Dreger said on Friday that Marchand would think about leaving Boston in free agency or through a trade, given the Bruins’ inability to move up the standings, bringing a 27-24-6 record into the 4 Nations Face-Off break and missing out on the postseason picture.
After Marchand committed to the Penguins by signing a two-year agreement amid constant rumors and speculation about his future, Dreger likened his predicament to that of Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh.
“[Crosby], an iconic figure in the sports landscape of Pittsburgh, (is) no different than a Brad Marchand for the Boston Bruins,” Dreger stated on First Up. “Those players take a high level of pride in playing with the same organization.
“It’s on both of those men, but March and his contract is about to expire, so he might want to evaluate if Colorado is a good match or if another candidate is a good 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.
Given that the Bruins are now sixth in the Atlantic Division, his future with the team is still up in the air. However, the Bruins captain doesn’t seem to care about the rumors. Marchand reaffirmed his excellent connection with the Bruins management and stated that he does not anticipate a quick trade in an interview with NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin on Sunday.
“At the end of the day, if they wanted to trade me, that’s obviously well within their right,” Marchand stated. However, I believe that’s something we would discuss. I don’t believe they would act impulsively like that. Marchand said on the “What Chaos!” podcast that trade rumors may circulate rapidly, but he brushed them off as something he couldn’t control.
“All it takes is one article or one person making a comment… and then it kind of takes off from there,” Marchand stated. “I try not to get caught up in it.
” Despite all mentioned above, Elliotte Friedman of Sportnet pointed out that Boston’s performance in the weeks preceding the March 7 deadline might have an impact on Marchand’s future. “If Boston takes on water I’m really gonna be curious to see where this goes,” Friedman stated. “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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