“He's one of the rare ones”: NHL insider strongly believes that Brad Marchand is a potential Hall of Famer

NHL insiders Kyle Bukauskas and Elliotte Friedman discussed Brad Marchand's chances of being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame during their co-hosting of "32 Thoughts: The Podcast" on Sportsnet. Bukauskas strongly believed that Marchand was a potential Hall of Famer.

NHL insiders Kyle Bukauskas and Elliotte Friedman recently examined Brad Marchand's chances for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. On Monday's installment of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast on Sportsnet, which they co-host, the two pundits discussed the subject, reviewing the Canadian winger's career and credentials.
Bukauskas was especially vocal in his contention that Marchand was bound for a position among hockey's all-time greats, making a staunch claim that the veteran winger had developed a résumé deserving of the sport's highest individual award.

“I know, like, there's other players out there that have played 1,000 games and have 1,000 points that aren't in the Hall of Fame," Bukauskas said. “I think you look at the way he impacted the league for all those years in that kind of way, there just wasn't a lot of other players like him."
Bukauskas further added, “There were agitators out there, no question; there were players that could score over his years, absolutely. But to have that complete package, he's one of the rare ones, and I think that has to be factored into the conversation too.”
Elliotte Friedman, co-host of Bukauskas, raised the issue due to resistance he received regarding the inclusion of Marchand in the Hall of Fame. “Yes, I'm with you on all this. Like, to me, he is a Hall of Famer,” Friedman said.
Brad Marchand spent 16 seasons in the NHL playing for the Boston Bruins after the team drafted him in the 2006 NHL Draft. Throughout his time playing with the club, he emerged as a star player, and in his very first season in the league during the 2010-11 campaign, he helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup. For his leadership and services, he was appointed captain of the team in 2023. In his time spent with Boston, Marchand played 1,090 games and tallied 422 goals along with 554 assists, placing him at a total point tally of 976.
Also Read: “A scumbag”: Brad Marchand a tongue-in-cheek answer when asked about coming back together with Sam Bennett
But, in a shock development, Marchand's longtime relationship with the Bruins was dramatically cut short on Friday, which was the last day of the 2024-25 trade deadline. In a shocking development that sent the hockey community reeling, including fans, pundits, and even his own teammates, the veteran forward was traded to the Florida Panthers. The transaction closed the book on an era in Boston and had many wondering what the future holds for the Bruins as well as their former captain.