As the NHL trade deadline nears, with some of the most coveted players flying off the board, speculation around Brad Marchand’s future with the Boston Bruins has intensified.
While both Marchand and the Bruins have long stated their desire to continue together, contract negotiations have stalled.
That makes a trade before Friday’s deadline an increasingly real possibility according to multiple insiders.
Chris Johnston of TSN reported that the feeling around the league is that Marchand will likely be traded to a team in the Western Conference.
“At this point in time, there’s no confirmation that [Marchand] is going to be traded, but the feeling league-wide is that he is likely to be moved by the Bruins at some point to the West,” Johnston said on TSN's "Insider Trading."
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman confirmed that there was “lots of noise” around Marchand on Thursday hight, adding that while a last-minute extension is still possible, the Bruins have been listening to offers.
“We never thought we’d see the day, but it is possible the Bruins move him,” Friedman wrote.
Meanwhile, Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic reported a lot of intel about the situation and the possible Marchand trade on the verge of Thursday's midnight.
“If Rantanen is unavailable or too expensive to acquire, in other words, Marchand could serve as a less costly Plan B,” Shinzawa reported regarding other teams' interest in the Bruins captain.
Shinzawa noted that Boston has been open to discussions and has set a high asking price, which is expected to include "a first-round pick, a roster player, and an A-level prospect," per an NHL executive.
Marchand, who has spent his entire 16-year career in Boston, is currently sidelined with an upper-body injury suffered on March 1.
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