Would you trade Marchand for any of these players?

[Merrrlin]

Just curious, as these were some of the players that ended up close in the asset value poll.

Take current ability (and state of the Bruins), contracts and age all into account.

Click to read more...

 

[Sheppy]

Age is the big thing here, but as much as I love Marchand. I'd probably move him for a few of these players.

 

[Therick67]

Age is the big thing here, but as much as I love Marchand. I'd probably move him for a few of these players.

Same here. 3 or 4 of those young guys are legit.

 

[VanIsle]

You would have to as a good business decision, Matthews is 10 years younger, Draisaitl is 8 years younger, just for 2 quick examples.

I love Marchand he is a great player but if you can get an extra 8-10 years out of a player that is close to as good as a player you have to do it.

 

[Trap Jesus]

Marchand (32, 5 years, $6.125 million)
Eichel (23, 6 years, $10 million)
Matthews (22, 4 years, $11.634 million)
Pettersson (21, 1 year, $0.925 million)
Barkov (24, 2 years, $5.9 million)
Draisaitl (24, 5 years, $8.5 million)
Point (24, 2 years, $6.75 million)
Marner (23, 5 years, $10.893 million)
Barzal (23, RFA)
Rantanen (23, 5 years, $9.25 million)
Tavares (29, 5 years, $11 million)
Stamkos (30, 4 years, $8.5 million)
Panarin (28, 6 years, $11.642857 million)
Scheifele (27, 4 years, $6.125 million)
Aho (22, 4 years, $8.454 million)
Svechnikov (20, 1 year, $0.925 million)
Crosby (32, 5 years, $8.7 million)

I wouldn't even consider trading him for:

Tavares
Stamkos
Panarin

I would consider but ultimately reject:

Crosby
Svechnikov
Rantanen
Marner

I'm 50/50 on:

Barzal

I would have some reservations but would pull the trigger on:

Barkov
Point
Scheifele

I would easily trade him for:

Eichel
Matthews
Pettersson
Draisaitl
Aho

 

[BruinDust]

Tavares and Stamkos are the only two on that list I wouldn't trade Marchand straight up for. And even Stamkos I'd have to think long and hard but with Pasta occupying the right-side half-wall on the PP for the one-timer, I don't think you'd get as much out of Stamkos as you would Marchand.

Everyone else besides Crosby it's mostly about the age difference as other posters have pointed out.

 

[sarge88]

Age is the big thing here, but as much as I love Marchand. I'd probably move him for a few of these players.

The few I picked were simply due to their ages.

I'm good with keeping him over the guys close to his age or older.

 

[Trap Jesus]

Bruins are geared up to go for it right now, which is why I don't think it's as simple as age. I don't want to lose Marchand + nearly $5 million of other players for a guy like Marner, even if he's nearly 10 years younger. It's too drastic of a shake-up for a team that will be able to contend for the next few years with the Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak line.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

I'll drive him to Edmonton myself for Drai

the rest range from "maybe I guess" to "nope"

 

[Merrrlin]

Marchand (32, 5 years, $6.125 million)
Eichel (23, 6 years, $10 million)
Matthews (22, 4 years, $11.634 million)
Pettersson (21, 1 year, $0.925 million)
Barkov (24, 2 years, $5.9 million)
Draisaitl (24, 5 years, $8.5 million)
Point (24, 2 years, $6.75 million)
Marner (23, 5 years, $10.893 million)
Barzal (23, RFA)
Rantanen (23, 5 years, $9.25 million)
Tavares (29, 5 years, $11 million)
Stamkos (30, 4 years, $8.5 million)
Panarin (28, 6 years, $11.642857 million)
Scheifele (27, 4 years, $6.125 million)
Aho (22, 4 years, $8.454 million)
Svechnikov (20, 1 year, $0.925 million)
Crosby (32, 5 years, $8.7 million)

I wouldn't even consider trading him for:

Tavares
Stamkos
Panarin

I would consider but ultimately reject:

Crosby
Svechnikov
Rantanen
Marner

I'm 50/50 on:

Barzal

I would have some reservations but would pull the trigger on:

Barkov
Point
Scheifele

I would easily trade him for:

Eichel
Matthews
Pettersson
Draisaitl
Aho

This basically matches how I feel, and thanks for posting the contract details!

I gotta be honest - I am a little surprised to see Panarin and Stamkos get votes.

 

[Trap Jesus]

This basically matches how I feel, and thanks for posting the contract details!

I gotta be honest - I am a little surprised to see Panarin and Stamkos get votes.

This board has been obsessed with Stamkos since the 2011 playoffs when he played with a broken nose. I've always thought he's been overrated. I wouldn't trade Marchand for him with equal contracts.

Panarin is a little trickier. I think he's better than Marchand but he's making nearly $6 million more.

 

[LSCII]

Anyone can be had for the right price, and I mean anyone. Factoring in career longevity, you'd be insane to not move Marchand for some of those guys. I would say that talent is only a piece of it though, and even bringing in a younger, possibly more talented player won't automatically translate to better on ice performance by the team. Marchand does so many of the little things that teams need and fans never really notice. His value to the team and his role are far more valuable than what you'd get back in trade.

 

[KrejciMVP]

Draisaitl, Aho, no leafs, they disappear in April

 

[Estlin]

I'd trade Marchand for the first six in that list plus Barzal.

 

[missingchicklet]

The Bs have one of the elite players in the league signed for 5 more years @ 6.125 per. He is still at his peak, and one of the very best wingers in the game. He is unique in that he is an agitator, an elite scorer, and will put his body on the line for his teammates, all wrapped into one. For much of the season when the Bs were not doing a good job of sticking for each other, Marchand was one of the few not putting up with any crap. Then there is the fact that he is a glue guy on arguably the best line in the NHL. His contract allows for more cap room for the next five years. There is no guarantee that any of those younger guys would re-sign with Boston once their contracts run out. Obviously age is a big issue with Marchand, but he is showing no signs of slowing down. He could very well be effective for 5 more years. Combined with the Bs young and old D, that first line instantly puts the Bs in a heck of a good spot to be competitive each year. I know the guys on the proposed list are for the most great as well, but they are not Marchy, and there is no guarantee they would click with the team as well as Marchy. So, as tempting as it may be to trade Marchy for one of the young guns, no way would I do it. There are still a few years, possibly more, of window for this group of Bs. I wouldn't risk spoiling a good thing already in-hand.

 

[BruinDust]

The Bs have one of the elite players in the league signed for 5 more years @ 6.125 per. He is still at his peak, and one of the very best wingers in the game. He is unique in that he is an agitator, an elite scorer, and will put his body on the line for his teammates, all wrapped into one. For much of the season when the Bs were not doing a good job of sticking for each other, Marchand was one of the few not putting up with any crap. Then there is the fact that he is a glue guy on arguably the best line in the NHL. His contract allows for more cap room for the next five years. There is no guarantee that any of those younger guys would re-sign with Boston once their contracts run out. Obviously age is a big issue with Marchand, but he is showing no signs of slowing down. He could very well be effective for 5 more years. Combined with the Bs young and old D, that first line instantly puts the Bs in a heck of a good spot to be competitive each year. I know the guys on the proposed list are for the most great as well, but they are not Marchy, and there is no guarantee they would click with the team as well as Marchy. So, as tempting as it may be to trade Marchy for one of the young guns, no way would I do it. There are still a few years, possibly more, of window for this group of Bs. I wouldn't risk spoiling a good thing already in-hand.

Or his game could fall off a cliff next year. You just don't know with players approaching their mid-30s.

 

[missingchicklet]

Or his game could fall off a cliff next year. You just don't know with players approaching their mid-30s.

Absolutely true. Or his game might not fall off a cliff and Marchy will keep producing at an elite level for several more years and help keep the Bs in contention during that time. A risk I'd be willing to take.

 

[KrejciMVP]

Absolutely true. Or his game might not fall off a cliff and Marchy will keep producing at an elite level for several more years and help keep the Bs in contention during that time. A risk I'd be willing to take.

but what if someone offered you Draisaitl right now, would you really turn it down?

 

[Fixxer]

I'm not breaking up that Boston first line.

 

[Therick67]

but what if someone offered you Draisaitl right now, would you really turn it down?

Kids 24 and I think he's got plenty of character...I love Marchand, but you'd at least have to think about it. Especially with the age at center...

 

[Ladyfan]

No.

 

[67Leafs67]

Interesting question. Taking into account the state of the Bruins is definitely interesting. I think a lot of people see them as an aging team with a closing window, with Chara (43/UFA), Krejci (34/1YL), Bergeron (34/2YL), Rask (33/1YL), and the main in question, Marchand (32/5YL), all on the decline. These have been the major pieces of the Bruins' team that, since 2008, has been in the playoff mix...which in today's NHL is enough to be a contender.

However, the Bruins have done a good job of preparing for a second wave of contending status with a new core of elite players. Their prospect pool isn't overly impressive, but they have a bona-fide #1 d-man in McAvoy (22/2YL), and two first line scoring talents in Pastrnak (24/3YL) and DeBrusk (23/RFA). That's a pretty solid core of players under 25 to build around, especially with good complimentary players like Grzelcyk (26/RFA), Carlo (23/1YL), Kase (24/1YL), and Coyle (28/6YL) on the right side of 30.

Of the 'old guard', Brad Marchand is the youngest (32), has the most term (5 years left), and is probably the best player...in fact, he's probably in a race with Artemi Panarin for top left-winger in the NHL currently, although I'd be tempted to give Panarin the edge. His cap-hit is only $6.125M, so there's no reason for the Bruins to trade him currently, and while I suspect he will begin to decline as his contract runs out, there's no reason to believe he won't earn the next five years of his contract. In addition, the Bruins aren't exactly in a spacious cap-situation.

The players listed:

Player​	Position​	Age​	Years Left​	Cap-Hit​
Jack Eichel​	C​	23​	6​	$10M​
Auston Matthews​	C​	22​	4​	$11.634M​
Elias Pettersson​	C​	21​	1​	$925K​
Aleksander Barkov​	C​	24​	2​	$5.9M​
Leon Draisaitl​	C/LW​	24​	5​	$8.5M​
Brayden Point​	C​	24​	2​	$6.75M​
Mitch Marner​	RW​	23​	5​	$10.893M​
Mathew Barzal​	C​	23​	-​	RFA​
Mikko Rantanen​	RW​	23​	5​	$9.25M​
John Tavares​	C​	29​	5​	$11M​
Steven Stamkos​	C/LW​	30​	4​	$8.5M​
Artemi Panarin​	LW​	28​	6​	$11.643M​
Mark Scheifele​	C​	27​	4​	$6.125M​
Sebastian Aho​	C/LW​	22​	4​	$8.454M​
Andrei Svechnikov​	LW/RW​	20​	1​	$925K​
Sidney Crosby​	C​	32​	5​	$8.7M​

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

All of them are younger than Brad Marchand, except for Crosby, who is about 3/4 of a year older. In my mind he's a better player, but he's also $2M more expensive (same term), and the Bruins have Bergeron, Krejci, & Coyle down the middle. Obviously you'd take the Crosby upgrade, but then outside of DeBrusk, your LW is pretty weak. Neither team would want to make that trade though probably.

The first three players are no brainers. They are already close to, or better than Marchand, and under the age of 24, so besides the cap-constraint, it doesn't hurt your Cup chances in the present, while significantly improving your chances in the future as they improve and Marchand declines. I don't really care that they are making more money, you'd be crazy not to trade a 32 year old LW for a 21-23 year old franchise centre-man...that's another decade of a DeBrusk - Elite C - Pastrnak line even after the old group is retired and gone.

Barkov, Point, & Scheifele are all making around the same money, and are significantly younger players with a lot more upside. While they might not be better players right now...over the course of the next five seasons I suspect all three have more to offer than Marchand, who will be declining each year. By the time you need to re-sign Barkov/Point in 2 years, Krejci & Bergeron will be either retired, or potential UFAs.

I don't think the Bruins would have an easy time finding the money to fit in Panarin, Marner, or Tavares, but all three are younger as well. Tavares would probably be a no - he's barely younger, making close to $5M more. Panarin is a slightly better player than Marchand, and 3 years younger, but the cost of fitting him in under the cap will likely be the loss of another player who makes up the difference in ability & age. Marner's contract is just too rich for a team with Pastrnak & Kase down the right side as U25s.

Draisaitl I would take...only $2M more and he's only 24 years old, and the Bruins' system makes up for his defensive deficiencies. Rantanen is a hard player to get a read on how good he is (apart from MacKinnon), and I don't think he's as good as Marchand, but again, age is a big factor when you're talking about a 32 year old, who is likely to decline over the next five years of his contract - at the same time, Rantanen makes ~$3M more. Aho & Svechnikov I'd probably take, given how young they are, and already very good players who would still make Boston a favourite contender this year.

 

[67Leafs67]

I'm not breaking up that Boston first line.

Overrated reason in my opinion. Chemistry and complimentary roles are important, but it isn't like that Bruins line is blowing every other line out of the water every season in terms of GF% or xGF%. Among lines with 200+ minutes this season they were 20th in xGF% and 11th in GF%. The season before they were 23rd in xGF% and 49th in GF%. The season before they were 28th in xGF% and 24th in GF%.

Marchand/Krejci/Pastrnak was ~10% better in xGF in 18-19, and ~20% in actual goals. Marchand/Bergeron /Heinen also did ~20% better in GF% and was only about 1% worse in xGF. Both of those samples were 120+ minutes. In the past, the Marchand/Bergeron combination has run some of the league's most successful lines with names like Seguin or Smith on the RW.

Marchand is a fantastic player who has built up great chemistry with both Bergeron & Pastrnak, but breaking up that line has worked fine in the past, and produced just as good, if not better, results. Not to mention, there are roughly twenty other lines that play 200+ minutes with each other that outperform this line every one of the last three seasons. It is a great line, but not special enough to warrant turning down some of these franchise level talents.

 

[Ladyfan]

Overrated reason in my opinion.

Marchand is a fantastic player who has built up great chemistry with both Bergeron & Pastrnak, but breaking up that line has worked fine in the past, and produced just as good, if not better, results. Not to mention, there are roughly twenty other lines that play 200+ minutes with each other that outperform this line every one of the last three seasons. It is a great line, but not special enough to warrant turning down some of these franchise level talents.

says a Leaf's fan. No thanks. I would keep Brad and thankfully I believe the B's management agrees. You have seen his cap hit right ???. The chemistry he has on his line AND team is unreal. How dull it would be without Brad.

 

[Trap Jesus]

Overrated reason in my opinion. Chemistry and complimentary roles are important, but it isn't like that Bruins line is blowing every other line out of the water every season in terms of GF% or xGF%. Among lines with 200+ minutes this season they were 20th in xGF% and 11th in GF%. The season before they were 23rd in xGF% and 49th in GF%. The season before they were 28th in xGF% and 24th in GF%.

Marchand/Krejci/Pastrnak was ~10% better in xGF in 18-19, and ~20% in actual goals. Marchand/Bergeron /Heinen also did ~20% better in GF% and was only about 1% worse in xGF. Both of those samples were 120+ minutes. In the past, the Marchand/Bergeron combination has run some of the league's most successful lines with names like Seguin or Smith on the RW.

Marchand is a fantastic player who has built up great chemistry with both Bergeron & Pastrnak, but breaking up that line has worked fine in the past, and produced just as good, if not better, results. Not to mention, there are roughly twenty other lines that play 200+ minutes with each other that outperform this line every one of the last three seasons. It is a great line, but not special enough to warrant turning down some of these franchise level talents.

Damn, we wasted all this time watching Bruins hockey when we could have just read this post.