The Bruins are dealing with multiple key injuries at an inopportune time.
Brad Marchand’s status leaves plenty of uncertainty in the air for the Bruins. (John Tlumacki/Globe Staff).
The Bruins are still clinging to what little chance they have at making the postseason — a 12.1 percent chance according to MoneyPuck. And those already slim odds might’ve just taken a massive hit following Saturday’s game against the Penguins.
While Boston picked up a much-needed regulation win, it did so without its captain for over 40 minutes of play.
Brad Marchand took a hard hit into the boards in the first period on Saturday, and needed help getting off the ice and into the locker room. He didn’t return to the bench, and Bruins interim coach Joe Sacco didn’t provide a concrete update on his status postgame.
“I haven’t heard anything yet,” Sacco told reporters. “I’ll probably know more tomorrow.”
The Bruins’ injuries are starting to pile up at the least opportune time. Charlie McAvoy’s status is still up in the air after his injury during the 4 Nations Face-Off. Hampus Lindholm has missed over 40 games with his injury and also doesn’t have an exact timetable for his return.
If Marchand’s injury causes him to miss even a few games, Boston will have to drag itself into a wildcard spot with a depleted roster. David Pastrnak has propped up the Bruins offense through its struggles, and he’ll need to continue that pace through the end of the season if the Bruins hope to have a chance at playing beyond April.
Outside of the massive blow to the top end of the lineup, a potential Marchand injury would also be an unwanted development ahead of the trade deadline.
Many of Boston’s core players are receiving trade speculation as the Bruins mull over whether to sell at Friday’s deadline ahead of a looming re-tool this offseason. Despite representing Boston as team captain, Marchand isn’t immune to trade speculation of his own.
Elliotte Friedman noted on his “32 Thoughts” podcast in February that he thinks trading Marchand “only becomes a thing this year if Boston kind of falls out of the race.” And, certainly the Bruins are in dire straits in that regard. However, if Marchand’s injury turns out to be serious, it could impact the Bruins’ ability to deal him even if they want to.
Marchand’s top suitors would likely be playoff caliber teams looking for one missing piece to get them to Stanley Cup contention. A healthy Marchand would fit that bill, but an injured one would not provide much of an appeal in those circumstances.
Regardless of if Boston elects to sell at the deadline or stay put, the outlook of its season will likely be shaped in large part by Marchand’s injury status.
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