Report: Marchand Deal to Western Conference Likely — Should Avalanche Be Interested?

Everyone wants to see a pair of Nova Scotian superstars united but nobody said which two.

The latest edition of TSN’s Insider Trading segment dropped a whopper about Brad Marchand. According to reports, a deal to a Western Conference team could happen before Friday’s deadline.

The captain of the Boston Bruins has not played since Saturday after suffering an upper-body injury. Bruins coach Joe Sacco said he’s week-to-week.

But that hasn’t necessarily stopped teams from inquiring about him.

“He’s been quite clear when speaking to reporters that he wants to remain in Boston. The Bruins have wanted to keep him,” TSN Insider Chris Johnston said on Thursday. “What I can tell you is at this point in time, there’s no confirmation he’s going to be traded.

“But the feeling league-wide is that he very much is likely to be moved by the Bruins at some point to the West.”

Boston’s front office and Marchand’s camp are still in discussion for a contract extension as early as the last couple of days.

Marchand, 36, is in the final year of a max-term contract worth $6.125 million annually. He has 21 goals and 26 assists in 61 games for the Bruins, who are in jeopardy of missing the playoffs. Marchand has spent his entire 16-year career with the team that drafted him in 2006. He was named captain after Patrice Bergeron retired following the 2022-23 season.

“It does feel like it’s moving toward a Marchand deal, which would be a surprise given that he’s a lifelong Bruin and has wanted to stay there,” Johnston said.

Marchand was one of the first six Canadians named to Team Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster last June. In the tournament earlier this month, he won a Gold Medal with fellow Nova Scotian and Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon. Both Cale Makar and Devon Toews played on that team, too.

Avs general manager Chris MacFarland told local media on Monday that he’s not entirely satisfied with his roster, even after acquiring Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey from the New York Rangers. While center depth seems to be their priority, acquiring a veteran presence and proven playoff performer like Marchand could provide a massive boost to this roster as a winger.

Marchand won the Stanley Cup with Boston in 2011 before making two more final appearances in 2013 and 2019. The Bruins have qualified for the playoffs every year since 2017. Marchand has 99 points in 91 postseason appearances during that stretch.

His 99 points are sixth in the NHL since 2017, trailing Nikita Kucherov, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Mikko Rantanen, and MacKinnon.