Brad Marchand Linked to the Maple Leafs in Final Stretch Before the Trade Deadline
The Maple Leafs have been reportedly linked to Boston's Brad Marchand per NHL Insider Kevin Weekes.
As the NHL Trade Deadline slowly starts to kick off, there are certainly lots of rumblings regarding potential deals and one big one could involve Boston's Brad Marchand heading to the Maple Leafs in what would be a stunning trade between rivals.
Per NHL Insider Kevin Weekes, there have been some rumors regarding the two teams coming together, and even touched on the potential a month ago.
Marchand, 36, has been a thorn in the side of the Maple Leafs since he's come into the NHL and would add a whole new dynamic to the team.
A free agent at the end of the year, Marchand has 47 points in 61 games for the Bruins (21G, 26A) and won the Cup in 2011.
If Marchand were to get traded out of Boston, it would be the end of an era for the scrappy yet offensively gifted forward. The last real remnant of their previous dynasty, Marchand is often viewed as the heart and soul of the team since Patrice Bergeron retired.
Over his extensive 16-year career, he has 976 points in 1090 games (422G, 554A) and has only missed the 20-goal plateau once in his career (minus the first 20 games of his career).
Often viewed as a nuisance on the ice, Marchand is willing to put his body on the line in order to help his team, and while he doesn't hit a ton or block a lot of shots; he does play extremely solid defense and has finished in the Top-10 for Selke voting in his career.
Bringing Marchand into the Maple Leafs would solidify their Top-6 and give them a huge advantage come playoff time. He's a known winner, he has a seriously successful track record as a clutch playoff performer, and having that x-factor of what he brings to the table is intriguing to say the least.
Barring any movement from players on the top two lines, here's how it could look with Marchand in the lineup:
Knies - Matthews - Marner
Marchand - Tavares - Nylander
While he doesn't offer a ton of size like Knies does up top, there's no denying he'd add a huge scoring punch and give Toronto another dangerous weapon to utilize against the likes of Florida and Tampa Bay; two teams who improved heavily so far.
It's only a matter of time before we hear one way or another about Marchand's future, but if it's in blue and white?
That might be the craziest trade all day.
