Brad Marchand has been the talk of the town lately—whether it’s his injury, his performance, or now, the swirling trade rumors. And with the Boston Bruins hanging on the cliff of the Eastern Conference playoff race, the tough calls are piling up. GM Don Sweeney isn’t used to this—Boston hasn’t missed the postseason since 2016. But now? The chatter is louder than ever, especially with Marchand’s contract situation heating up.
As Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston put it, “it’s down to white-knuckle time on negotiations.” Both sides want to lock something in, but the real battle? The length of the deal. And despite all the noise, one thing seems clear—Boston isn’t looking to ship off their heart-and-soul guy just yet. Marchand’s been rocking the black and gold since Day 1, and with 21 goals in 61 games, he’s proving that age is just a number. But with the cap set to rise, the Bruins aren’t eager to commit to a long-term deal that stretches into his 40s.
Some might wonder if Boston would trade him now and bring him back in the offseason, but let’s be real—that’s just not how this league operates. So now, NHL veterans are keeping it real about what’s next for the Bruins’ captain—and whether Boston’s front office is ready to make a move that could shake up the franchise.
In a video shared by NHL Network, NHL vets Brian Boyle and Ken Daneyko got real about the Brad Marchand trade chatter, and let’s just say—they weren’t exactly sold on the idea. Daneyko kicked things off, shutting down the speculation with, “I can’t see it happening. I think it’s a tough decision for the Boston Bruins hierarchy. But he has been a heart and soul guy. He’s been Mr. Bruin along with a lot of other guys, but kind of in that mold right now, he’s the captain as he took over for Bergeron.”
Boyle? He wasn’t having any of it either. “I’m not trading Brad Marchand for a second-rounder because you can’t trade a couple of seconds and send your last culture guy out the door,” he fired back. He gave credit where it was due, calling Charlie McAvoy “unbelievable,” but still, letting go of your captain for just a couple of picks? No shot. He made it clear that full rebuilds aren’t always the way to go, pointing out teams like Buffalo, Detroit, and even San Jose, who are still fighting to get back after stripping things down.
“What are you gonna get back for Marchand that makes it worth it?”@BriBrows22 doesn’t see a Brad Marchand trade happening. @KenDaneykoMSG | #NHLBruins | #NHLNow pic.twitter.com/XvsJEwMVJz
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) March 5, 2025
And Daneyko fully agreed, wrapping it up with, “Well, they know how to do that. I mean because they’re the model of consistency.” Boyle backed him up, adding, “But I don’t think you let your captain out the door for a couple of days.” Daneyko, who spent two decades with the Devils, sealed the conversation with a personal take: “Here’s a guy that played for a team for 20 years—one team—and I didn’t want it any other way.” And honestly? That kind of loyalty says it all.
This story is developing…
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