NHL Rumors: Brad Marchand, Bruins Talking Contract Extension; Trade Remains Possible

The Boston Bruins are reportedly spending the final day before the trade deadline deciding between re-signing and trading Brad Marchand.

According to Chris Johnston of The Athletic and TSN, the Bruins are continuing to negotiate with their captain while not shutting down trade inquiries from other teams.

Johnston's report comes with just over 24 hours left before the trade freeze hits at 3 p.m. ET on Friday.

Marchand is currently set to hit free agency this summer after his $6.125 AAV contract expires at the end of his age-36 season.

The Bruins will meanwhile hit the trade deadline within range of the two Eastern Conference Wild Card spots, currently held by the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators.

The New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens currently sit between the Bruins and the last Wild Card slot, however. Each of those teams hold at least one game in hand on Boston.

The Bruins attempted to gear up for a playoff run this offseason by adding Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov and re-signing Jeremy Swayman, then tried to spark a midseason resurgence with the November firing of Jim Montgomery.

After those changes still left the B's outside the playoff bubble, the team may now have to decide between re-committing to their longest-tenured player ahead of his age-37 season or seeking prospects and draft assets from a contender interested in adding him for a playoff push.

Marchand is in the middle of his 12th straight 20-goal season for the Bruins. However, his trade value could be lowered by the upper-body injury he suffered last Saturday, which interim head coach Joe Sacco said Tuesday would sideline him on a "week-to-week" basis.

If the Bruins do decide to negotiate an extension with Marchand, the captain could be looking at a short-term deal.

The Bruins previously inked players who played with Marchand on the team's 2011 Stanley Cup run, including Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and Zdeno Chara, to one-year deals later in their careers. The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa recently reported the Bruins "would prefer to return to this template" if extending Marchand.