One of the Boston Bruins’ most prolific scorers is captain Brad Marchand. This is accurate under any circumstances, including taking into account the Bruins’ all-time leading goal and point scorers. With 401 goals, Marchand is fifth all-time in goal scoring. Next season, he could overtake Patrice Bergeron (427) and Rick Middleton (402) to take third position. In the history of the Bruins club, he is also eighth in terms of points (929) and seventh in terms of assists (528), having played 1,029 games. He’ll probably pass general manager Don Sweeney (1,052) and David Krejci (1,032) in games played, moving up to fourth place all-time. Even with these honors, it’s critical to have reasonable expectations for Marchand going into the 2024–2025 campaign.
The Halifax native made history by playing in every one of the Bruins’ 82 games last season—just the second time in his career. He didn’t play in more than 80 games since the 2016–17 campaign, when he finished with 39 goals and 85 points. In addition, Marchand participated in 79 games in the 2018–19 campaign. Over the previous five seasons, he has participated in at least 70 games. The Bruins, who have recently battled almost comical injury struggles, had a comparatively healthy season in 2023–2024; Marchand has been no exception to this regrettable pattern.
Marchand will be 36 years old next season, therefore it may not be realistic to expect him to play in all 82 games. Even though he’s still a genuine talent in the NHL, his advanced age and playing style will eventually come back to haunt him. This does not certain that Marchand will miss games or that he won’t be productive when playing. Instead, it’s about setting reasonable expectations as the Bruins, after making significant summer additions, go from being a retool to a contender.
In terms of statistics, Marchand regressed slightly the previous season, but it’s crucial to remember that it was his first without Bergeron in the center. Additionally, he went through an unusual goal-scoring dry spell that is unlikely to recur. Marchand added three goals and ten points in 11 postseason games to his 29 goals and 67 points from the previous season, in spite of these circumstances.
Marchand continues to be one of the lineup’s most important players. The squad should count on him to lead them both on and off the ice and to contribute significantly to their offensive until he slows down. Marchand is a vital member of the club, so the Bruins have to manage him to keep him healthy for the duration of the regular season and the postseason.
Bruins Should Think About Marchand’s Load-Management Situation
Regarding possible “load management,” which is a controversial word because of how NBA players and teams have chosen to employ this particular tactic in recent years, the line is extremely thin. It’s almost insulting to the supporters who shell out a lot of money to watch these players play to give them too much rest. In addition to having detrimental effects on how the body and muscles prepare for workloads during the postseason, players who get too much rest run the risk of overloading their bodies in a high-stakes, high-stress situation like the playoffs, which could shock their system if they haven’t handled it properly all season.
Ultimately, Marchand is a remarkable athlete who doesn’t appear to require any extra coaching to play at such a high level. However, it would be reckless to ignore the fact that Marchand is getting older and more experienced, so the Bruins and Marchand need to figure out how to use him as efficiently as possible in the short and long terms.