Brad Marchand’s exit has been a tough one for the fans. And to reduce the trade to a “tough” one is an understatement in and of itself. His name is synonymous with the Bruins, and seeing him in Florida will certainly take some getting used to. But amidst this emotional farewell, let’s not lose sight of why this trade happened. And despite the fan outcry, there is a pretty good reason for it after all.
Of course, there’s the cut-and-dry technical reason. Marchand asked for what he thought he was worth, as per his market value: a three-year, $7.5 million-per-year contract extension. The Bruins offered to match his current salary but were less keen on the length of the extension. Unable to reach an agreement, GM Don Sweeney spearheaded his trade to the Florida Panthers. It’s a gamble, trading away the player who’s been on your team for the past 16 years, who’s the only member of the 2011 Cup-winning squad, your literal captain. But the deed is done, and the Bruins are left with no captain.
So, how are things shaping up for Boston? How are they moving on? NHL insider Chris Johnston clears the air a bit on how the road looks ahead for the Bruins. And there’s the other reason for the trade: a soft rebuild. Johnston said, “He’s [David Pastrnak] the guy you’re right. But to me there’s 3 guys, right? It’s him, McAvoy and Swayman. It must be weird for them, because on one hand, they grew up, these are the buddies, that are getting traded away, they have been part of the team of bringing them into the NHL, but on the other hand, if you’re the age of those guys, you know their careers won’t last forever either. This is how brutal sport can be.”
“Those three pillars… the whole operation hinges on them now.” #NHLBruins#CJShow @reporterchris @jkamckenzie pic.twitter.com/8zfW5i9PWT
— sdpn (@sdpnsports) March 14, 2025
Earlier, Brad Marchand also mentioned having ‘faith’ in McAvoy and Pastrnak. Johnston added that, “Those three players, that I mentioned, the whole operation hinges on them now, because if this works it will be because of those players remain top players at their position, and then it gives the Bruins time to find younger guys to bring in around.” So that’s basically the long and short of it. Brad Marchand is gone but the Bruins have a new focal point now. Or points, rather. But even so, life without Marchand was never going to be a cakewalk.
The Bruins are struggling to find solid ground after roster overhaul
The Bruins have been struggling to find stability this season. Their form has been constantly even, and the Brad Marchand trade, along with the trades of Charlie Coyle and Brandon Carlo, doesn’t appear to have changed that. Yes, the front office is in the midst of instituting a soft rebuild, but that’s easier said than done. However, there are some positives to be gleaned.
But first, let’s unpack some of the negatives. The glaring one being their 6-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators. After they beat the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida panthers–two teams that are markedly better—the Bruins were riding a bit of a high. But their lack of consistency reared its ugly head yet again. “We just weren’t good enough. And most of the facets of the first period—our execution wasn’t quite there,” said interim head coach Joe Sacco.
It was quite the candid self-assessment from Sacco, who minced no words in his post-match interviews. “We weren’t sharp; our passing was off. And because of that, they got us back on our heels, and then they took the play to us in the first period.” But one thing that Sacco is stressing a lot less about is the lack of a captain. He pointed to the New York Rangers as an example of how to make it work.
But that’s not all; as evidenced by the scoreline, there were problems between the pipes too. Jeremy Swayman let four goals in in the first period against Ottawa, which added to his run of bad form since the 4 Nations Face-Off, with a 2-4-2 record in eight starts, a 2.99 GAA, and .888 SV%. It isn’t looking too rosy considering this is one of the players the Bruins are rebuilding around.
But back to those positives. The big one is that Casey Mittelstadt, who was acquired in the Charlie Coyle trade, has been settling in nicely. He scored his first goal as a Bruin amidst the loss and has 3 points in 3 games now.
So, the Bruins soft rebuild hasn’t been without its bumps, but it’s too soon to write it off either. Even the Marchand trade; the dust has barely begun to settle, so it’s hard to definitively ascribe any kind of rating to the whole move. But one thing’s for certain: we’ll get a better picture once the playoffs roll around.
The post NHL Insider Gives Honest Take on Bruins Moving Away From Brad Marchand appeared first on EssentiallySports.
