It’s no secret that Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand is one of the most dangerous offensive wingers in the league.
He has averaged over a point per game for the last five seasons, leading the Bruins in that category in four out those five years.
Marchand currently has 15 points through the first 10 games for the Bruins, with five goals and 10 assists. So it begs the question – can Marchand reach the triple-digit threshold in the 2021-22 season?
According to the projections from Dom Luszczyszyn from The Athletic, yes, yes he can. He’s on pace to reach at least 100 points for the second time in his career.
Projected scoring race as of November 8
— dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) November 8, 2021
Mitch Marner finds his way back into the top 10 after a strong week pic.twitter.com/G7jKTWUYJE
At this pace, Brad Marchand could set a career-high in points with the Bruins
As of Nov. 8, Marchand was projected to finish the season with 106 points, which would surpass his previous season-high of 100 points in a season. And that was before Marchand added a goal in the Bruins’ win on Tuesday over Ottawa.
However, you have to take everything with a grain of salt.
At the end of the day, the projection is just that – a projection. It’s a great way to have an idea of what a player will produce, however, players will go through dry spells where it will drop the projected totals. However, to be fair, a player can also produce at a clip higher than the projection is expected and rack up even more points.
Another concern is injury. The projection above has Marchand playing in every single game in the 82-game regular season. It’s not impossible by any means, however in his 12 seasons in the NHL, Marchand has played in all 82 games just once.
You add into the fact that COVID and COVID protocols are still an issue and the likelihood of Marchand, or any player in the NHL this season for that matter, are slim.
But enough negativity. The way Marchand is playing right now, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get over 100 points. He’s been far and beyond the best Bruins night in and night out. He’s been consistent and has points in eight of the Bruins’ 10 games. His line mates Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak have gotten out to slow starts to the season, so once they get into a rhythm, more points should come Marchand’s way.
So to answer the question, yes I think he can. As long as he stays healthy and out of COVID protocols, that is. Even if he misses a game or two, I can absolutely see Marchand hitting at least 100 points if he plays in at least 75 games. He has both the scoring and playmaking ability to rack up both goals and assists.
Marchand’s playing on arguably the best line in hockey. The points have been coming in bunches early on. There are no signs that the 33-year-old winger is going to be slowing down and he should finish among the top players in the league in points this season.