Brad Marchand should be the next alternate captain for the Boston Bruins.
The Boston Bruins are going to be one alternate captain short at the start of the 2016-17 season. With Chris Kelly going to Ottawa, and Loui Eriksson going to Vancouver, the Black and Gold will need to pin an ‘A’ on someone. So, who is the most qualified among the remaining players to wear it?
Right now, the most logical choice for the Bruins is to give the letter to someone who is more than just a leader in the locker room. They’ll need an experienced player to help push and motivate his team on the ice as well. They need someone who can get out there with the refs, and with the leadership of the other teams, and be a solid representative for the Bruins organization.
The Boston Bruins have several fine candidates that fit the bill right now. The locker room is full of leaders. But at the moment, the best candidate is someone who briefly wore that ‘A’ last season. That player is forward Brad Marchand.
There are multiple reasons why Marchy should get an ‘A’. Brad Marchand was the team’s leading scorer last season. He put in 37 goals for the Black and Gold, and always found a way to be where the team needed him to be. While Brad is certainly famous for his hands and his skates, he’s gotten rather infamous for his mouth.
That’s the kind of player that would bring a perfect balance to the Bruins leadership. A little well-mannered chaos to the order.
The ‘A’ is something that Brad Marchand wants. He was very excited when he earned it in the middle of last season(just before getting suspended for three games and missing the Winter Classic). He’s grown up a little more as well. The 28-year old forward has sharpened his game and has cut down on the number of bad penalties.
It would be an incredibly smart move next year if the Bruins organization properly rewarded Brad Marchand for his six and a half seasons in Boston.