Rumors began circulating last night that a trade between the Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks might be brewing. Sources said that the Bruins would be willing to give up forward Brad Marchand for Patrick Marleau of the Sharks, and that the teams had been in talks regarding those players.
The Bruins traded forward Tyler Seguin to the Dallas Stars last summer after a falling out with him and the team and bad playoff performance. Marchand performed even worse in the Bruins 2014 playoff run which ended with a second round loss to Montreal. However, general manager Peter Chiarelli spoke on Friday morning and said he would not be trading Marchand.
Marchand did not score once in the playoffs, and other than a 31 game stretch in the middle of the season where he netted 17, he scored just four before and after that stretch. Trade rumors had already begun, but after the playoff loss he already stated that he hoped the team didn’t trade him like they did Seguin.
“I have had no discussions for Marchand and I have no plans to trade him,” Chiarelli told WEEI.com in an article by Bruins writer DJ Bean. “I don’t make it a practice to respond to reports in the social media, but occasionally it is necessary.”
That negates the rumor from last night and any other rumor involving Marchand. However, the question now becomes, would this match have made sense?
First of all, while when general managers squash trade rumors it usually means nothing, it does for Chiarelli. He never denied the rumors about Seguin, so there is no pattern here. If he says he won’t trade Marchand, then he probably won’t.
Marleau might be an interesting player for the Bruins. First, the Sharks are willing to move him whether the Bruins are interested or not. After blowing a 3-0 lead in the first round to the Kings, they are looking for a makeover, already announcing that Dan Boyle won’t return.
The Sharks met with Marleau in mid May and it is widely speculated it was to discuss a trade, since he has a no trade clause. He is the team’s all time leader in games, goals, points and many other marks. However, he is also an older player, and the Bruins right now clearly lack speed. Jarome Iginla, another veteran they brought in last season, could not always keep up. Would Marleau have been the same thing?
Marleau is 35 years old and carries a cap hit of around $6 million while Marchand’s is $4.5. However, the Bruins do have some cap room and if Iginla leaves as a free agent as well, that creates even more room. This would be a non issue in a potential deal.
If the Bruins are worried about speed, giving up Marchand, the third or fourth fastest player on the roster, makes little sense. However, if they are concerned about performance or a Seguin situation, the fit isn’t that bad. Marleau, after 16 years with the Sharks, is a potential hall of fame player and will be able to score. The Bruins do lack pure goal scorers, so that is another reason for a fit.
It is all for naught though, as this trade isn’t happening. Still, it’s interesting to wonder.
