Brad Marchand injured not having extended his contract with the Bruins

Dose
Crédit:

It’s hard to say that the big news last Friday on the trade deadline was not Mikko Rantanen heading to Dallas.

On the other hand, we were expecting him to be traded by the Hurricanes.

If there’s one piece of news that surprised several people, it’s the fact that Brad Marchand is no longer a member of the Boston Bruins.

This one, nobody saw it coming.

Even Elliotte Friedman, who announced the scoop on Sportsnet, was taken aback, just like the rest of the panel present.

We can actually see the reaction when this news was announced in the latest Saturday Headlines from Sportsnet:

In this same Saturday Headlines, Friedman discussed the transaction and specified that he believes Marchand was hurt/disappointed not to be able to continue his career in Boston.

What led to this trade is the fact that the Bruins and Marchand were VERY far from an agreement on the annual salary.

Moreover, we knew that the annual salary offered to Marchand would have been $3M, which is a great disrespect.

He did everything for the club, giving his heart and soul.

According to what Friedman reported in Saturday Headlines, we understand that Marchand was willing to put aside some money to find an agreement with the club… but in vain.

« Where I think it went wrong is that Marchand asked for an in-person meeting and he asked for a compromise from both sides to find a way to complete this extension. » – Elliotte Friedman

Definitely, Marchand wanted to stay, but the Bruins’ management did not want to give in and pay more for the veteran.

There was clearly a large gap between the two price demands, still according to Friedman.

Now, the Bruins only have a conditional 2nd round pick from the Panthers, rather than giving a little more to the one who gave everything for the club.

Marchand has obviously slowed down in recent years, but he’s still on track for a 63-point season, and constantly disturbing the opponent.

He still has some good hockey left in him, but Boston will have to do without him.

Moreover, Marchand (who is currently injured) could return to play soon, according to his GM Bill Zito.

His arrival will undoubtedly be welcome in Florida, especially as the playoffs approach.

Imagine a trio made up of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, and Marchand… enough to give opponents nightmares.

In a hurry

– To listen to.

– 40 years old, that’s something to celebrate.

– With Marner, the Penguins could be very competitive next year and possibly offer one last run to Crosby and company for the Stanley Cup.

– Three more goals for Quebecer Justin Carbonneau, who is giving himself more and more arguments for the next draft.

– Still one of the best defensive defensemen in the NHL, despite being 34 years old.