Brad Marchand scored 21 goals this past season, his lowest goal total since his first full season in 2010-2011
Say what you will about Boston Bruins left-winger Brad Marchand, but he is unquestionably a top-3 left-winger in the NHL when he is healthy.
A year ago, he scored 32 goals and 80 points in 70 games. He followed it up by undergoing hip surgery on both of his hips during in the summer of 2022. It was projected to be a six-month recovery period. However, Marchand returned to the Bruins' lineup on October 27th and scored two goals and had an assist in the Bruins 5-1 win against the Detroit Red Wings.
Still, he finished the season with just 21 goals and 67 points in 73 games. And while he still ranked second on the team in scoring, it was one of Marchand's worst seasons — causing some to wonder if the dip in production was an indication of a downward trend for a player who turned 35 last month.
Can Marchand return to being the elite left-winger he was prior to his hip surgery?
This question is something that did come to mind when reflecting on the 2022-2023 Boston Bruins season. Marchand did not have a bad season by any stretch of imagination. However, with Marchand coming off his lowest goal scoring total (21) since his first full season in the NHL in 2010-2011, it is fair to wonder if this is the beginning of a dip in his goal scoring production as he prepares for his age 35 season. This is all the while keeping in mind that he is now one year removed from hip surgery that Marchand admits saved his NHL career.
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There were various points this past season where Marchand told reporters he is not where wants to be referring to his game.
“I wouldn’t say I am yet, but you feel better about your game when you’re getting bounces,” he said to reporters on March 21st following the Bruins 2-1 win over Ottawa Senators. “That’s part of my game. I’m expected to produce. I put a lot of pressure on myself to do that. The better conditioned I feel and the more I move my feet, the more things open up... When your confidence is high you feel like you can make plays and pucks find the back of the net. Kind of feel like that right now.”
With a full regular offseason of training post hip surgery, one can only hope that Marchand returns to being the premier goal scorer that he has been in recent seasons.