Updated Landing Spots for Bruins Captain Brad Marchand amid NHL Rumors

The Boston Bruins find themselves in a particularly odd place in the Eastern Conference on the playoff bubble, and that tenuous position means they could be buyers or sellers at the March 7 NHL trade deadline. If they're selling, that means moving players whose contracts are up after this season are easiest to trade, but captain Brad Marchand is one of those players, and, boy, that would be weird to see.

Marchand wants to be a Bruin for the rest of his career, but if the Bruins are closer to being out of the playoffs than in them by the time the deadline rolls around, the chance that GM Don Sweeney tries to retool the roster is a lot higher than it would be otherwise.

Marchand is undoubtedly beloved in Boston, and no player on the current roster has bled black and gold more than him, so trading him would be shocking. But a player with his particular set of skills and ferocious competitiveness would have a ton of value to a team in need of that kind of piece to improve its chances to win the Cup.

If the Bruins want to trade Marchand, we’ve come up with a few suggestions of who might get the best use of him, even if seeing Marchand go to some of those locations—and win—would hurt Bruins fans deeply.

Have some thoughts of your own on this? Let us know in the comments, we know you've got ideas.

Carolina Hurricanes

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Whenever Brad Marchand is on the ice, he can disrupt anyone at any time. That kind of disruption and knack for getting in the heads of opponents is an element the Carolina Hurricanes have lacked for a very long time, especially under Rod Brind'Amour.

Marchand's joining the Hurricanes as an agitator, physical presence, and a lightning rod for opposing players' attention would be a valuable addition in the postseason.

In the past, the Hurricanes have had forwards who have somewhat accidentally riled up opponents (Scott Walker in 2009, for instance) but there’s not been a lightning rod for attention since Stu Grimson donned the sweater back in the day—and the Hurricanes weren’t a playoff team at that time.

The ‘Canes need to get to the Stanley Cup Final now, and a player with Marchand’s abilities provides an element they don’t have. They’ve also got a first-round pick to offer up to clinch a deal.

Edmonton Oilers

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It’s interesting how the Oilers and Hurricanes seem to run in the same circles when it comes to making additions at the deadline. Both teams would be in the mix for Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson if they opted to trade him, and we’re putting them both in the race for Brad Marchand if he’s going to be available as well.

What the Hurricanes lack on their roster when it comes to fiercely competitive players with a sandpaper touch is also what the Oilers are missing. Edmonton going without Evander Kane for most of the season has taken away their physical fierceness, and while he’s able to get under the skin of opponents, Marchand does it in a way no one else in the league can.

The Oilers injecting that emotion into their roster would do them a world of good. Marchand’s ability to goad opposing players into taking penalties as well as his natural ability to draw them leans directly into Edmonton’s strength on the power play. Giving Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl more chances to score easily is something they should exploit, and Marchand excels at it.

The Oilers don’t have a first-round pick to offer up to Boston if that’s the price, but there are other ways to make a trade happen, too.

New Jersey Devils

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We’re unsure if Newark, New Jersey, is a place Brad Marchand would say no to when it comes to his eight-team no-trade protection, but with where the Devils are in the Eastern Conference playoff race and the impact he could have on their roster, there’s not much reason for him to pass on going there, right?

The Devils don’t lack an edge, but what they’re missing is a lightning rod. Guys like Stefan Noesen, Timo Meier, and Paul Cotter are good at playing hard and mixing it up, but they’re not the types to do it the way Marchand does. The more they have someone to take attention away from Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes, the better off they’d be.

Marchand would give the Devils the kind of shift disturber and competitor they haven’t had since Claude Lemieux patrolled the ice for them in the mid-1990s, and his ability to kill penalties and play on the power play makes him an all-around threat.

Even though New Jersey may be more concerned with the health of goalie Jacob Markström now, rounding out their lineup and becoming more formidable for the postseason should be their focus. Adding Marchand would give them a sorely needed edge. Although they don’t have a first-round pick to offer up this year to grease the wheels for a trade, they do have three second-round picks to work with.

Vegas Golden Knights

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This isn’t our usual reason for putting Vegas into a conversation for a trade. We know they don’t fear making a trade and will do whatever it takes to win, but the Golden Knights have a head coach in Bruce Cassidy who knows Marchand best.

Cassidy coached Marchand previously with the Bruins and provided that relationship was a good one, it stands to reason that if the Boston captain becomes available in a trade, he’d push to get him on the roster.

Vegas' road in the postseason will be rough. If the Golden Knights don’t win the Pacific Division, they could play Los Angeles, Vancouver, or Calgary in the first round and then potentially Edmonton in the second round. Even then, the wild-card team they'd face if they do win the division could be any of Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Calgary, or Utah. Yeesh, man. Marchand would make them better, and if they have him, it means none of the others would.

Sure, Marchand comes with a $6.125 million cap hit, but let’s not think something silly like that would get in Vegas’ way if it wants to bring Marchand aboard.

Colorado Avalanche

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We seem to like throwing Colorado into lots of consideration for trades, too, and it’s for good reason. The Avalanche have shown they’re willing to make a monster trade, and they’re in an intense race in the Central Division chasing after the Winnipeg Jets and trying to stay out of the wild-card spots against Dallas and Minnesota.

When the Avs moved Mikko Rantanen to Carolina for Martin Necas, it took away a big, physical player who also scored. Even though Necas can score as well, he’s not exactly a physical player. Colorado has guys that can bang like Ross Colton and Miles Wood, but with Valeri Nichushkin going in and out of the lineup with injuries, they could use a two-way player like Marchand to solidify the lineup.

Colorado is still a team rocking a heavy top line with Nathan MacKinnon having Necas and Artturi Lehkonen, and adding Marchand would give them a bit more heft on their second or third line. The Avalanche lineup would be a bit more well-rounded, and that kind of formidability is something they could use.

The Avs are a Cup contender, and making a move to add Marchand would prove they’re serious about it. It’s also the kind of addition that would allow them to better withstand the gauntlet that lays ahead in the Western Conference playoffs.