NHL Rumor Roundup: The Latest On Bruins' Brad Marchand And Penguins' Erik Karlsson
Media trade chatter continued last week about Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand, while Erik Karlsson's 4 Nations performance also generated speculation.
The Boston Bruins' struggles to hang onto a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference prompted some observers to speculate about captain Brad Marchand's future.
Marchand, 36, is eligible to become a UFA on July 1 unless he and the Bruins agree to a contract extension. That had some Boston pundits musing over his trade status leading up to the 4 Nations Face-Off, though he dismissed the conjecture.
The media trade chatter persisted last week, as RG.Org's James Murphy reported the Bruins were getting calls about Marchand from rival clubs. He cited one source saying they appear to be listening rather than shopping their captain, while another said they're not peddling him.
Marchand continued to downplay the talk, telling the What Chaos! podcast that it was just fans having fun. He told NHL.com's Amalie Benjamin he doesn't expect to be moved by the March 7 trade deadline. Marchand acknowledged that it's management's decision but doesn't think they would do it on a whim.
Anything can happen, especially if a club pitched a significant offer for Marchand. Nevertheless, he's a heart-and-soul Bruin with a close relationship with management who wants to finish his career in Boston. It won't be shocking if he's still in Boston after March 7.
Meanwhile, the 4 Nations Face-Off could improve the trade value of tournament participants, such as Erik Karlsson. The 34-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman played well for Sweden, leading to one of Josh Yohe's readers asking The Athletic scribe if Karlsson's performance might make rival GMs look at him more closely.
Yohe believes it could, pointing out Karlsson was Sweden's best player during their tournament-opening 4-3 loss to Canada last Wednesday. That could help Penguins GM Kyle Dubas find a trade partner for the puck-moving defenseman.
Karlsson's age and contract, however, remain significant obstacles. He turns 35 in May and has two seasons left on his contract, with the Penguins carrying $10 million of his $11.5-million annual cap hit. Karlsson also still has a full no-movement clause, which gives him complete control over the situation.
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