NHL
Brad Marchand has made it clear he wants to play his entire career with the Boston Bruins. Management could honor its captain’s request and keep him in Boston, even without an extension in place before the deadline. But with the organization’s need for a retool, the Bruins at least have to explore the possibility of trading one of their top wingers at the NHL trade deadline.
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The Bruins are technically still in the playoff race. Their 62-point season puts them just two points outside the postseason bubble. While the Bruins can hope that the Blue Jackets and Red Wings struggle with the difficulty of their remaining schedule, their playoff hopes are still slim — especially with Charlie McAvoy out indefinitely and Hampus Lindholm potentially done for the rest of the season.
Before Wednesday night’s matchups, the Bruins had an 18 percent chance of reaching the playoffs and a sub-one percent chance of winning the Stanley Cup. So, the harsh reality is that, despite their current standing in the playoff picture, the Bruins may want to think about the big picture — even if it means pulling themselves out of the race with deadline trades. If the Bruins want a tight turnaround on a retool, management must take a proactive approach and get to work as soon as possible.
Trent Frederic, a pending unrestricted free agent on the trade board, was injured in Tuesday night’s game against the Maple Leafs. The team did not have an update on him postgame, which could put another dent in the Bruins’ deadline plans if he is out long-term. Maybe that pushes management toward moving Marchand, to get the retooling process going. It could also move players with term, such as Charlie Coyle, Pavel Zacha and Brandon Carlo, to the trade block.
The decision on Marchand won’t be easy, considering what he means to the franchise and on the ice. But the return could thread the needle for Boston because Marchand does not have a no-movement clause to navigate. That would crush the Bruins’ leverage in trade situations. Instead, management has to navigate only an eight-team no-trade list.
Marchand’s age has to come into the equation for the Bruins. He will be 37 this spring, and any multi-year extension would come with risk, especially since it will stay on the books if he retires before its conclusion. But a contender doesn’t have to worry about the big picture — that team just needs productivity from Marchand this spring.
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On the surface, Marchand’s scoring rate is a shade below last year at 2.56 points per 60 minutes. His pace has gradually declined over the last five seasons, which is reasonable for a player in his mid-to-late 30s. The Bruins’ power play struggles contribute to his scoring dip, but so does five-on-five play. Marchand has had a positive impact on the team’s expected goal generation relative to his teammates, it just hasn’t always translated to the scoresheet.
There are elements at five-on-five that are down relative to seasons past for Marchand, though. He has seen downticks in his forechecking, dump-in recovery and zone exits. But he still can help get his team into the offensive zone, whether he creates a scoring chance off the rush or chip plays over the blue line.
The real question is whether it’s due to age-related decline, or just a decline in team quality around him. The Bruins never found adequate replacements for Patrice Bergeron and David Krejčí at center in the top six. This year, his primary linemates have been Coyle and an underperforming Elias Lindholm, who signed a long-term deal in Boston last summer. Marchand hasn’t even shared the ice much with David Pastrňák this year, playing less than 21 percent of his five-on-five minutes with the elite winger. Despite having less support from years past, he is still tasked with playing matchup minutes against top offensive competition.
Having the support of contender-worthy players around him could help revitalize some of his game — even if it’s in a different capacity from his current role with the Bruins.
Marchand may be past his prime, but he can still check off a lot of boxes for a playoff team. He brings an element of versatility to the lineup because he can contribute to different areas of the game. He can be leaned on at both ends of the ice, in any situation. His special teams deployment can give playoff teams another edge, from the power play to disrupting opponents while shorthanded or being leaned on in empty-net situations. Marchand can be trusted to stir things up to energize his team and has a lot of playoff experience under his belt. At this point, he isn’t the star that a fringe playoff team should swing for. He is that final piece that can complete a contender and really amp up their Stanley Cup chances.
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What is one thing the Lightning and Marchand have in common? Both failed to get past the Panthers last season. That is who the Lightning are on track to face in Round 1, so the pesky winger could help address their biggest area of need.
The Lightning’s most pressing need is forward depth. Tampa Bay is a top-heavy team, and management can approach it two ways: shopping on a budget to add quantity over quality or taking a big swing at an all-situation forward such as Marchand.
Lightning and Team Canada head coach Jon Cooper saw firsthand what Marchand still has left in the tank at the 4 Nations Face-Off — just in a reduced capacity. His role in Tampa Bay would likely be somewhere between his fourth-line role for Canada and top-six usage in Boston. The Lightning could use him in the middle six, whether he slots on the right of fellow Team Canada forwards Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel in shutdown minutes or on Nick Paul’s left on the third line.
Marchand can elevate the Lightning in any situation; it would just take some creativity to make a deal. Either the Bruins would have to retain salary, or a third-party broker would have to get involved. The Lightning’s prospect pool is pretty thin, but the team has two seconds in 2025 (from the Kings and Maple Leafs) and all of its 2026 picks.
The Devils should be in the market for two things at the deadline: a top-six winger and a third-line center. With multiple needs, New Jersey may have to look for lower-key options such as Jake Evans and Ryan Donato. But that shouldn’t stop management from trying to pursue Marchand.
He would be pricier in terms of cap and cost of acquisition. But Marchand brings a track record of performing in a playoff environment in several ways. He can be trusted on both ends of the ice, in any situation or point in a game. His presence could send Ondrej Palat down the depth chart to a more fitting role.
In the Devils’ top six, Marchand should have real support from his center to kick his game up a notch. A Selke-caliber center such as Nico Hischier could be the best match for him. Or, maybe he could help drive play on the third line to give New Jersey more scoring depth.
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The Devils have three 2025 second-round picks and some up-and-coming players who could interest the Bruins. If Simon Nemec has fallen out of favor in New Jersey, since he is too good for the AHL but struggling at the NHL level, he is the ideal target for a team trying to quickly retool for next season.
On paper, the Oilers seemed to solve their depth issues last summer by signing Viktor Arvidsson, Vasily Podkolzin and Jeff Skinner. But none has shown enough consistency. Neither has Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who was expected to be one of the leading forces in the supporting cast. The coaches keep mixing and matching wingers to find the right combinations around Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
While Matt Savoie’s promotion has potential, management may also want to consider options outside the organization. Maybe Marchand is the missing piece to help take this contender further than last year.
Marchand wouldn’t have to be the guy in Edmonton but would instead take on a more complementary role. Unlike his time in Boston this year, that should put him in a position to succeed. He could deepen the forward group and add his rat-king energy to the top nine without sacrificing skill.
The Oilers don’t have as many assets to swing a deal — their prospect pool lacks, and management has already spent much of its 2025 draft capital. But the team has the Blues’ second and third-rounders in 2025 and all of its 2026 picks. Management would either need to move salary out or pay for retention to make a Marchand deal click, especially if the Oilers plan to make more than one addition.
The Kings don’t have the game-breaking talent of some of the best in the West, and it won’t be easy to find that in-season. Instead, the best approach may be strengthening their depth with another top-nine winger.
On the one hand, the team may not want another aging star in Los Angeles and would prefer to find someone who can add more offensive pop to the lineup. On the other hand, Marchand’s playoff experience would be welcome alongside some of the Kings’ up-and-coming talent, such as Quinton Byfield, Alex Laferriere and Alex Turcotte.
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With Marchand in the fold, the Kings should be able to dress 12 forwards with ease instead of rolling 11 forwards and seven defenders. And he really could slot anywhere in the lineup. Considering how well he clicks with a shutdown center, he could play alongside Anze Kopitar or Phillip Danault. Or he could be a veteran presence on Byfield’s wing, ensuring the Kings have three lines ready to take on matchup minutes.
Unlike the Oilers, the Kings have a few more assets to work with. The team has most of its picks over the next two years and young talent that could help facilitate the Bruins’ retooling.
Over the last couple of seasons, the Golden Knights have focused on bolstering their center depth and defense. And now there’s room for improvement on the wing.
Brandon Saad has been fine in Vegas through his first six games, with solid five-on-five impacts. Raphael Lavoie has been a plus defensively. But neither is genuinely second-line caliber on a contender. Marchand would be an upgrade on the left side of the ice behind Ivan Barbashev.
The Golden Knights don’t have the deepest of prospect pools and are already without their next two first-rounders. But a depleted asset pool hasn’t stopped Vegas from taking big swings in its short history — at this point, it’s par for the course on a team that prioritizes winning now above all else. Vegas has shown a willingness to move roster pieces when necessary, too. The player to keep an eye on there could be pending RFA Nicolas Hague, with both Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb extended. But that could be an offseason move, especially with Theodore out week-to-week.
— Data via Evolving-Hockey, HockeyViz, HockeyStatCards, AllThreeZones, and NaturalStatTrick. This story relies on shot-based metrics; here is a primer on these numbers.
(Top photo: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
Shayna Goldman is a staff writer for The Athletic who focuses on blending data-driven analysis and video to dive deeper into hockey. She covers fantasy hockey and national stories that affect the entire NHL. She is the co-creator of BehindtheBenches.com and 1/3 of the Too Many Men podcast. Her work has also appeared at Sportsnet, HockeyGraphs and McKeen’s Hockey. She has a Master of Science in sports business from New York University. Follow Shayna on Twitter @hayyyshayyy
