Bruins “Open” to Marchand Trade, Avs in As Well as on Crosby?

Are the Boston Bruins planning to trade Brad Marchand or keep him? That’s one of the big questions fans in Boston are asking in the final hours heading into Friday’s trade deadline. The team captain and face of the franchise for years, he’s also a pending unrestricted agent with a flexible modified no-trade clause on a team that’s selling. With little time left to move Marchand if the offers are there, one insider even wonders if Marchand could be part of a bigger blockbuster trade that eventually includes Sidney Crosby (more on that later in the post).

---

---

As per Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic, “While the Bruins continue to go back and forth with Brad Marchand on a possible contract extension, word is they’re still open to potentially trading their captain: Teams calling with interest aren’t being told “no” right now.

So, as it stands, the answer is no. Either the team still wants to get an extension done, the offers aren’t good enough, or they just aren’t in that head space. What would make the Bruins change their mind? It’s an interesting question, particularly as this season’s trade market is starting to benefit sellers.

Are the Avalanche a Team to Watch on Marchand?

What About Marchand and Crosby?

Nick Kypreos — who admittedly likes to throw out ideas for the sake of generating talking points — linked the Colorado Avalanche to Marchand. He did so as part of a conversation about Sidney Crosby. He said that the talk of Nathan MacKinnon, Crosby, and Marchand “could be real.. is real” and that it was just a matter of the players all deciding if they’d like to do it.

“Sid has to be like, I’m in,” cracked Justin Bourne when he wanted clarification on what Kypreos was actually saying.

Kypreos reported that the Avs were on board with the idea. Marchand is a pending UFA, so he could sign there as early as July 1 (if Colorado doesn’t trade for him first). The next step would be a Crosby trade, which would be much easier said than done.

Kypreos admitted that Marchand is out with an injury but said the Avs have been “knocking on that door,” and Crosby knows he’s got an open invitation.

As the deadline nears, it is wild times, and in the final hours, all sorts of interesting narratives come up. This might be the most unlikely yet, but the idea that Marchand could be moved or a pivot piece in a larger deal is fascinating.

Next: Oilers Get Potentially Huge News on Evander Kane Injury Status