The Boston Bruins are sitting outside of the Eastern Conference playoffs with tough decisions ahead of them. This is a new position for GM Don Sweeney, as Boston has not missed the playoffs since 2016.

One of the pending free agents the Bruins could trade at the deadline is captain Brad Marchand. The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston have the latest on a potential Marchand trade and his contract negotiations.

“Meanwhile, it’s down to white-knuckle time on negotiations with captain Brad Marchand,” the insiders wrote. “Both sides would like to get something done, with the term being the main sticking point in talks to date. One thing that does not appear likely is Boston shipping the heart-and-soul legacy player out of town.”

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Marchand is in the final year of an eight-year contract paying him $6.125 million per season. He has spent his entire career with the Bruins and was named the captain after Zdeno Chara left in 2021. The team should not treat this captain the same, as Chara spent the final years of his career with the Islanders and Capitals.

But term is a big issue for a 36-year-old forward. Even with the salary cap set to explode, the Bruins do not want to pay Marchand deep into his 40s. Despite his age, Marchand is still having a great offensive season with 21 goals in 61 games. This is his 12th consecutive 20-goal season, all while a member of the Bruins.

The Bruins could trade Marchand and tell him they will re-sign him in the offseason. That is not a move hockey teams traditionally make, so don't expect that from Sweeney. But even if the negotiations continue into the summer, it would be stunning to see Marchand in any other jersey.