Brad Marchand’s wish was to play his full career as a Boston Bruin. That will not happen. The Bruins are sending their captain to the Florida Panthers pending a trade call, per league sources. The return was not immediately known.
The 36-year-old is currently week-to-week with an upper-body injury and will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.
Marchand and the team had been in negotiations throughout this season in hopes of making him a lifelong Bruin. But the difference in opinion was too significant to bridge, prompting general manager Don Sweeney to execute the trade. Marchand had an eight-team no-trade clause.
The trade accelerates the retool Sweeney initiated by moving Trent Frederic to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday for, primarily, a 2025 second-round pick that originally belonged to the St. Louis Blues. He continued it by moving Charlie Coyle and Brandon Carlo on Friday. It gives the futures-limited Bruins more draft capital to build around David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman.
As for the captaincy, Pastrnak and McAvoy were Marchand’s alternates and are the obvious top candidates to be his candidates to be his successor.
Marchand was 34th on The Athletic’s latest NHL trade board. The 2006 third-round pick has played his entire NHL career with the Bruins, amassing 976 points in 1,090 games. He won a Stanley Cup in 2010-11 and was named Bruins captain in September 2023 following Patrice Bergeron’s retirement. He recently competed with Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, winning the championship at TD Garden.
It is difficult to project how much gas Marchand has left in his tank or what his form will be when he returns from injury. He has 21 goals and 47 points in 61 games this season. After a slow start, he had 13 goals and 30 points in 34 games prior to being injured against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.
The Bruins are three points behind the Ottawa Senators for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, but the Senators have two games in hand. The New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens are between the Senators and Bruins in the crowded playoff race, also all with games in hand on Boston.
What is Marchand’s Bruins legacy?
Marchand will be remembered as one of the franchise’s most important players. He broke in as a fourth-liner and rapidly became an all-around contributor. Marchand settled in as Bergeron’s linemate. The two became fast friends and a lethal three-zone combination.
Marchand was a natural to become captain after his ex-linemate’s 2023 retirement. Coaches and teammates acknowledged Marchand as the team’s hardest worker and fiercest competitor. During one summer development camp, Marchand participated in the prospects’ fitness testing by riding an Assault bike.
Marchand took his captaincy seriously. He was proud of following Bergeron and Zdeno Chara. Marchand was first to call new teammates upon their Boston arrivals. Teammates enjoyed Marchand’s company because of his positive outlook and cheery nature.
None of this was guaranteed. Marchand was infamous for his reckless play and confrontational personality. He has compiled eight career suspensions. His most outrageous maneuver was licking former Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ryan Callahan during the 2018 playoffs. Then-coach Bruce Cassidy convinced Marchand to consider his legacy and change his behavior.
Who should the next captain be?
It will be either Pastrnak or McAvoy. Pastrnak may have the advantage because of his status as the Bruins’ best player. He is a year older than McAvoy. Pastrnak has an electric personality, making him instantly likable to his teammates. Like Marchand, he is an outgoing person.
Whether it’s Pastrnak or McAvoy, the captaincy might not transfer immediately. The Bruins may wait until 2025-26 to make the decision.
This story will be updated.
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(Photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
