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Brad Marchand discusses Bruins contract talks, defends Don Sweeney following trade
"I am grateful beyond words for everything that that organization has done for me.”
Brad Marchand — having shed his black-and-gold garb for red Panthers gear — spoke to the media on Monday for the first time since getting dealt to Florida just ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline.
While most of the questions posted to the former Bruins captain in Sunrise revolved around the opportunity in front of him this postseason and his ability to mesh in a dressing room filled with former antagonists like Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk, Marchand also reflected on his 16-year run with the Bruins — as well as defend Boston’s management after they made the call to trade Marchand.
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Both Marchand and Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said all of the right things in the months and days leading up to Friday’s deadline in terms of making Marchand — a pending free agent — a Bruin for life.
But with both parties unable to come to terms on a new contract and an underachieving Bruins roster slipping out of postseason contention, Boston ultimately made the call to deal Marchand at the 11th hour — sending him to the reigning Stanley Cup champions in exchange for a conditional 2027 second-round pick.
Amid a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman of a “face-to-face meeting” between Marchand and the Bruins that “really hurt Marchand” when a new contract couldn’t be struck, Marchand defended Boston’s management group on Monday.
“We obviously were working to try to get an extension done, and Sweens said it the other day, there was a gap. … “We both felt that we had a position, and ultimately we didn’t get it done,” Marchand said. “But I do want to kind of clean up, because I’ve seen the last few days, just the narrative that’s been going around. I want to kind of set the record straight, like I don’t have any ill will towards the management group, towards Sweens, Cam [Neely] or Charlie [Jacobs].
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“I’ve had an incredible run in that organization, and I’m extremely proud just how things went there. So yeah, it was very disappointing that things didn’t get done, just because obviously I love the organization. I wanted to stay there. But at the end of the day, I also know that business is business, and every player has a shelf life, regardless if that’s when we want it to be or not.”
While both the Bruins and Marchand had to contend with both term and payout with his new contract, Friedman noted on Monday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast that he didn’t believe Boston was offering up a pay cut as part of their negotiations.
“The other thing I do believe, at the end, and nobody has disputed this to me, I do not believe the Bruins were offering a pay cut,” Friedman said. “His current AAV is $6.125 [million]. I’m certain the offer was not below that. Now, how much more than that it was, I don’t know, but I am certain the offer was not below that. Marchand was not being asked to take a pay cut.
“However, there was a gap. There was a sizable gap. Nobody out there would confirm to me what the gap was, but I think that the Bruins reached the line. It’s kind of the same thing as the Lightning with [Steven] Stamkos. They reached a line and they said, ‘This is as far as we’re going to go.’”
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It remains to be seen what type of contract Marchand will command in free agency this offseason, especially if it’s similar to the $6.125 million payout that’s currently on the books. Some of it might depend on how the 36-year-old winger fares during the postseason in Florida — with Marchand’s projected return from an upper-body injury still uncertain.
But Marchand — who will travel with the Panthers up to Boston for their game on Tuesday night at TD Garden — stressed that his unexpected change in scenery is a byproduct of the business side of the NHL.
“If we were in the playoffs at the point in time, we’d probably be having a much different conversation, and I know that,” Marchand said of Friday’s trade. “It’s something we had talked about previously, but we weren’t — and at that point, very tough decisions have to be made. And the one thing that I always respect, I told Cam and Sweens this — they have a job to do, and they have to make the best decisions for the team. And I completely understand where the decisions need to be made.
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“Yeah, sometimes they work against you, but that’s why I believe Sweens is one of, if not the best, general managers in the league. I watched him for a very long time excel at his job, and for those who are in the organization and know the effort that he puts in every day and how hard he works — no one would question where his loyalty lies, and that is to do what’s what’s best for the team every day. And when you’re part of that group, you feel it sometimes.
“And like I said, every guy has their day and it’s obviously not what you want to have happen. But I don’t hold that against him or the group, it’s just part of life. It’s part of the game, but also he did create this opportunity for me to be here. So I am grateful beyond words for everything that that organization has done for me.”
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