Countdown to TradeCentre: Marchand expecting to stay with Bruins
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The NHL's March 7 Trade Deadline is approaching, and teams are making decisions on whether to buy or sell, and on which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. Check out today's trade rumours and speculation from around the NHL beat.
Bruins to keep their captain?
With the Boston Bruins in the rare spot of sitting outside the playoff picture, there has been speculation as to whether the team would consider moving team captain Brad Marchand, who is a pending unrestricted free agent.
Marchand, who scored for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off on Wednesday, said prior to the first game that he does not expect to be traded and believes general manager Don Sweeney will trust the current group to find their way.
“I don’t think so, but I don’t have all of the answers,” Marchand told NHL.com. “I don’t think so. I believe that we have a group capable of doing more than what we’ve done. And I believe that they feel the same way.”
Sweeney is also general manager of Team Canada at the 4 Nations and Marchand noted his close relationship with the executive leads him to believe he will not be blindsided by a trade.
“We’re not in control of them,” Marchand said of the ongoing rumours. “At the end of the day, if they wanted to trade me, that’s obviously well within their right. But I feel like that’s something that we would have a conversation about.
"I don’t think that’s something they would just do on a whim.”
The 36-year-old winger has 20 goals and 44 points in 57 games this season. He carries a cap hit of $6.125 million on his expiring deal with an eight-team no-trade list.
Boston sits one point back of the Detroit Red Wings for the final wild-card spot and two points back of the Ottawa Senators for the top wild-card spot with one more game played than both teams. The Bruins have been a postseason mainstay, reaching the playoffs in each of the past eight seasons.
Golden Knights in limbo amid Theodore injury
The Vegas Golden Knights saw a worst-case scenario play out Wednesday as star defenceman Shea Theodore suffered an injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off with Canada.
Head coach Jon Cooper declined to reveal the full extent of Theodore's injury, only confirming he will miss the remainder of the tournament which ends next Thursday.
“What a kid, and he only got to play six minutes,” Cooper said. “It’s heartbreaking for the kid. And he was the first one there at the door high-fiving everybody when we came off. It’s a tough one to swallow because you just know how much it means.”
Theodore injured his right wrist or forearm when he got pushed into the glass on a hit by Sweden’s Adrian Kempe in the second period of Canada's eventual 4-3 overtime win. He left the ice in pain and was looked at on the bench before going down the tunnel to get X-rays.
“I didn’t know, actually, either until the intermission when they came in and told me,” Kempe said of Theodore's injury. “I can’t even remember the hit to be honest, so I’m going to have to go back and look.”
Theodore, 29, has seven goals and 48 points in 55 games this season while sitting second on the team in ice time at 22:02 per game. Alex Pietrangelo, who leads the Golden Knights with an average of 22:35 per game, withdrew from Team Canada for the 4 Nations tournament last month.
A long-term injury would allow Vegas to free Theodore's $5.2 million cap hit via long-term injured reserve, though replacing the blueliner would prove difficult.
For Team Canada, Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Travis Sanheim is set to replace Theodore after joining forward Sam Bennett as the team's healthy scratches against Sweden.
Maple Leafs watch
The Toronto Maple Leafs are firmly set as buyers ahead of the trade deadline, but it's unclear how much general manager Brad Treliving is willing to part with to upgrade his team.
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger joined OverDrive on Wednesday and pointed to a need at centre sitting atop Treliving's wish list.
Dreger believes the Maple Leafs would be among the teams interested in St. Louis Blue forward Brayden Schenn, but notes the cost could be too high for the Maple Leafs.
The 33-year-old Schenn has 11 goals and 32 points in 56 games this season. He's hit the 20-goal mark in each of the past three seasons. He is under contract through the 2027-28 season at a cap hit of $6.5 million.
Sitting second in the Atlantic Division with 33-20-2 record this season, the Maple Leafs are without a first-round pick in 2025. Dreger points to Scott Laughton of the Philadelphia Flyers as another option for Toronto, but notes general manager Daniel Briere is currently seeking a first-round pick back for him.
Laughton, 30, has 11 goals and 26 points in 54 games this season with the Flyers. He is under contract through next season at a cap hit of $3 million.
Watch Dreger's full breakdown below: