The Boston Bruins suffered another significant blow on Saturday as captain Brad Marchand left their 3–2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins with an undisclosed upper-body injury.
Marchand was hit from behind by Penguins defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph in the first period, crashing into the boards and requiring assistance to leave the ice.
The Bruins ruled him out for the remainder of the game, and his status remains uncertain, with head coach Joe Sacco offering little clarity after the game.
“I haven’t heard anything yet,” Sacco said. “He obviously didn’t return to the game.
”I’ll probably know more tomorrow.”
Adding to the concern is Marchand’s history with concussions. He missed two games in last season’s playoffs due to a concussion and had to enter protocol after a game played on Feb. 22 following a hard fall into the boards.
Teammate David Pastrnak voiced his frustration with the non-call on the hit.
“It’s never good to lose your captain,” Pastrnak said. “Especially a player like Marchy, who never lays on the ice.
“That being a no-call penalty is crazy to me. I thought it was, especially if a player got injured, especially a guy like Marchy, who’s pretty tough.
“Hopefully, he’s going to be all right and be back soon.”
Marchand’s injury comes at a crucial time for Boston, less than a week before the March 7 trade deadline.
The 36-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent with his eight-year, $49 million contract expiring on July 1. Despite Marchand's desire to stay with the Bruins by signing a contract extension, trade speculation keeps surrounding him.
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney has been evaluating trade options for some of the team’s pending free agents but has acknowledged that a contract extension for Marchand remains on the table before the season's over.
With Boston already dealing with injuries to Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, and Trent Frederic, a Marchand absence would further strain their playoff hopes and turn Boston into true sellers at the deadline.
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