Mike Felger and Michael Holley discuss the current state of the Bruins and debate whether Brad Marchand is a “bad captain.”
The Boston Bruins find themselves outside of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference standings after an embarrassing 6-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on home ice Thursday night.
The B's trail both the Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets by one point in the wild card race, but Boston also has played at least two more games than each of those teams. As a result, MoneyPuck gives the Bruins just a 19.1 percent chance of making the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
If the Bruins decide to become sellers or re-tool ahead of the March 7 trade deadline, one player who could draw interest from other teams is Brad Marchand.
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Boston's captain has spent his entire career with the Bruins and ranks among the franchise's greatest players. His 969 points are the fifth-most in team history. But his contract expires after this season.
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Marchand was asked after Thursday's loss if there's pressure on the players knowing that if the team continues to struggle, changes could be made to the roster before the trade deadline.
“The only thing we can do is focus day to day,” Marchand told reporters. “They’re going to do what they feel is necessary for the team. And all we can do is worry about our play and what we can control.
“We can’t control any decision that is going to be made. We have to come and do a job here every day, and that’s all we can worry about right now.”
When asked about his own situation, Marchand said, “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 decisions for the group that they feel is necessary.
“I have no control over that. So I’m gonna worry about what’s going on here and play for this group. And as long as I’m here, I’m a Boston Bruin and that’s what I’m worried about.”
Marchand is 36 years old but still produces at a high level as a two-way left wing. He has tallied 40 points in 53 games, and his next goal will give him at least 20 in 12 consecutive seasons. He also is strong defensively and makes a positive contribution to both the power play and penalty kill.
Marchand is still one of the Bruins' top three players. If traded, he would be a huge upgrade for a contending team going into the playoffs. That said, trading him makes little sense for the B's unless a team is willing to wildly overpay.
The Bruins rank 27th in goals scored per game and 30th in power-play percentage. Removing the second-best forward on the roster would make both of those areas significantly worse, and it's not like the Bruins have any Grade A prospects capable of taking his place. Trading Marchand also would be a sign of the B's giving up on the season, and there's no need to do that at the moment based on the team's position in the standings. Making the playoffs is still an attainable goal.
If the Bruins plan on re-tooling in the offseason and being right back in the mix during the 2025-26 campaign, it would help if Marchand was still on the roster.
There's still about six weeks before the trade deadline. A lot could change between now and March 7. But unless the Bruins fall completely out of the playoff race, or some team gives them a crazy offer for Marchand, moving him is not in the team's best interests.