Flavin Media

https://twitter.com/NHLBruins/status/1898185650991776247

Firstly, as the above tweet alludes to, Brad Marchand’s identity as truly one of the city’s own is undeniable. There’s so much more any fan could say, but let’s come to terms with this trade…

Marchand was absolutely taxed:
It became clear, maybe even a few years ago, that Marchand was no longer setting the pace of the game himself. At this point in his career, he needs his linemates to do that for him—and with this roster, it was borderline obvious that he needed to find another home that supports him better.

Marchand was not the right captain:
As much as we wanted Brad Marchand to be that next captain everyone buys into, it simply wasn’t there with his teammates. Marchand’s role is realistically better as a secondary captain anyway. This is no slight against him or his legacy—players’ impact on a game doesn’t live or die with the captaincy.

This team needed to restructure:
Like other recent Bruins trades, the team needed to let go of the past. Whether it was hesitancy from the defensive pairings or lack of energy from the forwards, the team’s dynamic was more stale than fans wanted to believe.

It may come as a surprise to many that GM Don Sweeney actually pressed the big red button, but maybe this was the destruction he needed to buy time with ownership to complete his vision. The Marchand move was completely necessary, though the return was underwhelming.