Cam Neely didn’t mince words earlier this month when asked to assess the state of a middling Bruins roster.
“I think right now, we’ve got to look at two paths — one that we’re buying and one that we may be just retooling a little bit,” Neely said at the Boston Bruins Foundation’s gala on Jan. 15. “We still feel like we’ve got a playoff team here, and we certainly don’t want to jeopardize getting out of the playoffs because we’ve made some moves that may be good for the future, but not good for the present.”
Since that shot across the bow, the Bruins have done little to inspire confidence that a late-season surge into the postseason is in the cards.
After Neely’s comments, the Bruins are 3-3-1 — dropping back-to-back games against the Buffalo Sabres and Winnipeg Jets this week by a combined score of 13-4.
Thursday’s lopsided 6-2 loss to Winnipeg at TD Garden marks the 13th time in 53 games that Boston has lost by three or more goals.
In a game where Boston clawed back to tie things up at 2-2 in the third period, the Bruins completely unraveled in short order — with Winnipeg scoring a pair of goals less than two minutes after Elias Lindholm’s equalizer.
Boston’s inability to sustain any semblance of momentum has routinely doomed them time and time again, with Joe Sacco’s team now coughing up seven goals this month within two minutes of scoring their own goal.
Following Thursday’s loss, MoneyPuck has tabbed the Bruins’ playoff odds as under 30 percent.
Speaking after Thursday’s latest setback, Marchand was asked about Neely’s comments — and the clear ramifications that await this roster if it continues to slide down the standings.
“I mean, the only thing we can do is focus day to day,” Marchand said. “I mean, they’re going to do what they feel is necessary for the team. And all we can do is worry about about our play and what we can control.
“We can’t control any decision that is going to be made. We have to come and do a job here every day and that’s all we can worry about right now.”
A Bruins team severely lacking in young talent and draft capital could embrace a retool in the coming months — selling off pending free agents like Trent Frederic or other lineup regulars like Charlie Coyle and/or Brandon Carlo in search of future assets.
But could a top-six player with a championship pedigree like Marchand also be a viable trade chip if Boston is looking to accelerate a retool? The pending UFA would be an appealing rental piece for many Stanley Cup contenders looking to add a missing piece to their forward corps.
If Boston opts to take the more painful of two paths, a Bruins legend like Marchand might be donning another sweater in the coming months.
It’s a scenario that Marchand is tuning out as the Bruins continue to stumble in a crowded Eastern Conference playoff field.
“I’m not really worried about what’s being said in the media,” Marchand said of trade rumors. “At the end of the day, like I said, they’re going to make the decisions for the group that they feel is necessary.
“I have no control over that. So I’m gonna worry about what’s going on here and play for this group. And as long as I’m here — I’m a Boston Bruin and that’s what I’m worried about.”
What was once viewed as a season buoyed with plenty of promise has now taken on water. It’s a reality that few in the Bruins’ locker room expected, especially Marchand.
And the consequences of this downturn could be realized in the coming weeks if Boston doesn’t turn things around.
“It’s been a different year. Obviously, we’re facing a lot of adversity throughout this year,” Marchand said. “And we don’t have a choice but to work through it, so you can’t get caught up in frustration. Obviously none of us are happy with where we’re at and the position we’re in, especially considering where we expected to be to start the year. But you can’t focus on that.
“You have to focus on being better for the next one, and that’s what we have to worry about. Like I said, we can’t get caught up in it. Yeah, are we happy with where we’re at? Absolutely not. We haven’t played to our standard, and we haven’t played the way we know we’re capable of as a group. So that is frustrating, but at the end of the day, we got to worry about what we can control, and that’s our effort tomorrow.”
