The Boston Bruins have been decimated by injuries throughout the 2024-25 National Hockey League campaign — and that list got even longer on Tuesday. Captain Brad Marchand is week-to-week due to an upper-body injury suffered in a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, interim head coach Joe Sacco confirmed.
“Obviously a hard guy to replace,” Sacco told reporters on Tuesday, per NHL.com. “We’re going to miss him but it creates opportunities for other guys now to step up, some of our younger players, maybe like a [Georgii] Merkulov or a [Matthew] Poitras, it gives them more of an opportunity.”
The 36-year-old was hit by Penguins forward Pierre-Olivier Joseph while on the powerplay; he subsequently fell face-first into the boards. He was down on the ice for several minutes and needed assistance from teammate David Pastrnak and a trainer to get to the locker room.
“He’s disappointed,” Sacco continued. “I think obviously any time a player gets injured (and) he’s going to miss some time, they’re disappointed, so I think that’s the first reaction but he’ll be back.”
Marchand travelled with the team to Minnesota, but didn’t suit up for a 1-0 loss to the Wild on Sunday afternoon. The 2011 Stanley Cup champion is second on the Bruins in scoring, managing 21 goals and 47 points over 61 games this season.
“It’s strange, I mean a guy who since the moment I got here (in 2016) has had a big role with this group, with this team and this organization,” defenseman Brandon Carlo said, per NHL.com.
“We have so much respect for him and the way he does carry himself. Even though he is injured, he’s still going to being a component of that. Coming into the rink today just having his personally around the room is very helpful. But on the ice, definitely a big missing component that we need. Right now, we’re just going to have that next-man-up mentality and go from there.”
Marchand joins a growing list of players on the injured list in Boston, which also includes the team’s top two blue liners in Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy, as well as a top trade chip in depth forward Trent Frederic.
Things have gone from bad to worse for a Bruins team that remains on the outside looking in for a wild card slot in the Eastern Conference.
Bruins fading away in Eastern Conference playoff race
After a strong start to the campaign, the Bruins have struggled mightily as of late. With just three wins in their last 10 — and mired in a skid of six defeats in seven games — it’s looking more and more like Boston will miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2015-16.
It’s quite a development just two campaigns removed from one of the greatest regular-seasons in the history of the National Hockey League. As of Tuesday, the 2024-25 Bruins are two points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the second wild card slot, but sit behind the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers.
The 28-26-8 Bruins have just been unable to overcome a slew of injuries, and heart and soul captain Marchand going down is not going to help things at all. Despite emerging into a trade candidate, it’s unlikely the front office moves on from one of the most important players in franchise history ahead of Friday’s NHL Trade Deadline.
Sacco’s club is back in action against the Nashville Predators at TD Garden on Tuesday night.
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