While it was always a possibility, no one quite expected Brad Marchand to be traded at the 2025 deadline, but after the two sides were significantly apart in contract negotiations, the trade was ultimately the move that the former captain wanted.
There has been plenty of speculation on what those prices were, and given that the two parties agreed on the term of their next contract, it must have been a sizeable difference for Marchand, a 16-year Boston Bruin to walk away.
Now, Paul Bissonnette has revealed that the Bruins highest offer to Marchand came in at $6.3 million AAV after he requested $7.5 million a season, and with the team being unwilling to even meet him half way on that offer, it became clear that he wasn't valued in Boston the way he believed he was.
While $6.3 million is still a sizeable salary, in today's NHL with the salary cap going up over the next few years, it's a deal that the team could have afforded, and after Marchand took less than that for the past eight years, it was disrespectful of the team to not match his ask.
Ultimately though, this could have been what Boston wanted considering they moved Brendan Carlo, Trent Frederic and Charlie Coyle at the deadline as well, as the organization appear to be pushing for a re-tool or a potential rebuild, but as a result, they may need to watch their long time captain go on a Stanley Cup run on arguably their biggest rival over the past several years.
POLL | ||
MARS 11 | 633 ANSWERS Boston Bruins Insulting Offer To Captain Brad Marchand Revealed Should the Bruins have accepted Marchand's desired contract? | ||
Yes | 477 | 75.4 % |
No | 156 | 24.6 % |
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