The Boston Bruins are set to kick off training camp for the 2023-24 season after an offseason that featured plenty of changes to the roster. The changes make for an interesting camp, as there are questions about who will lock down roster spots in the depth portions of the lineup. One thing for certain is that longtime Bruins’ winger Brad Marchand will be a leader for the club this season. Entering his 15th season, all while wearing the Spoked “B”, the pesky star has many milestones within reach during the upcoming season.
Marchand Closing in on 1,000 NHL Games
Currently sitting at 947, with a healthy campaign, Marchand will become just the eighth player in franchise history to reach 1,000 games played. He will join former Bruins such as Ray Bourque, Johnny Bucyk, Wayne Cashman, and Don Sweeney as well as three former teammates from the Bruins’ core he helped form in Zdeno Chara, David Krejci, and longtime linemate Patrice Bergeron.
This will be a huge honor for Marchand, who the Bruins originally drafted in the third round, 71st overall at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. If all goes well from a health perspective, he will hit the milestone on Feb. 13 in a home game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Marchand Within Reach of Multiple Offensive Milestones
Aside from the games played milestone, Marchand has many other milestone marks within striking distance for the upcoming season. With a career stat line of 372 goals and 490 assists for 862 points, he should eclipse the 400-goal, 500-assist, and 900-point marks this season, considering his consistent level of offensive production.
With 28 goals or more, he will follow in Bergeron’s footsteps by reaching the 400 milestone. Bergeron is the most recent player in franchise history to hit the mark, scoring a hat trick against the Buffalo Sabres on April 28, 2022. “It is special,” Bergeron told reporters after the game. “The one thing that’s special, I think, is the fact I scored all the goals with the Bruins. That’s the biggest thing for me that I take out of it. It’s been a great ride with one organization. It’s something that doesn’t happen often. I’m proud of that.” Whenever Marchand does hit the milestone, he will join Bucyk, Bergeron, Phil Esposito, and Rick Middleton to become only the fifth Bruin player to score 400 goals with the franchise.
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While sitting just ten shy of 500 career assists, Marchand should hit the mark early in the season. Much like in each of the other categories, he will find his name amongst some of the greatest in franchise history by becoming just the eighth player to hit 500 assists during their time with the Bruins.
Marchand has averaged 66 points per season, not including his Bruins debut in 2009-10, where he only appeared in 20 games. With that being said, and while sitting just 38 points away from 900, he should be a lock to hit the mark during the upcoming campaign. As he continues to pile up the points, he also etches his name in the franchise record books as one of the greatest to ever pull the Bruins jersey over their shoulders. Only four other players have compiled more than 900 points throughout 100 years of franchise history. He will surpass the legendary Bobby Orr (888 points) and Middleton (898 points) on his way to the milestone.
Marchand More Than Just Offense
Although his offensive numbers are surely impressive, Marchand is also closing in on a couple of lesser-known milestones. With 973 career penalty minutes, the one-time super pest turned All-Star will surpass 1,000 this season. On a list full of former Bruins’ tough guys such as Terry O’Reilly, Mike Milbury, Eddie Shore, Ted Green, and Fern Flaman, Marchand will become just the tenth player to hit the mark. He will also become just the 45th player in all of NHL history to record over 900 points and over 1,000 penalty minutes, which is some great company to keep for the pesky star.
His elite two-way play and scoring prowess have also led to some excellent career plus/minus numbers as he currently ranks 33rd all-time in NHL history with a plus-290. His plus/minus rating may take a hit this season without Bergeron centering his line, but he should still surpass a plus-300 mark for his career. While the stat has taken some scrutiny by some since the dawn of advanced stats, such as Corsi For percentage and Fenwick For percentage, Marchand nearing the plus-300 mark exemplifies just how consistent he has been on both sides of the ice throughout his career.
Marchand’s Milestones Open Hall of Fame Discussion
Despite Marchand jokingly hinting towards early retirement when the Bruins unveiled their new threads at the Centennial Takeoff fashion show last week, the hope is that he will remain an effective player for the club for the remainder of his contract and possibly beyond. However, when the time comes and he eventually does hang up the skates, his long list of milestones combined with being a Stanley Cup champion will open the discussion of whether or not he belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
There’s no doubt some of the antics he’s thrown and the number of times he has crossed the line will cast a shadow on his potential Hall of Fame induction. However, numbers don’t lie and with everything he’s achieved already, it would be hard to deny Marchand as being one of the greats to play the game. Ultimately that’s a discussion for another time as fans should be excited to watch Marchand knock off each of these milestones this season.
