Boston Bruins: Brad Marchand named No. 3 wing in NHL

On Sunday night the NHL Network released their list of the top 20 wings in the NHL right now, and Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins came in at No. 3.

Boston Bruins fans love Brad Marchand, while fans around the league despise him. On Sunday night, NHL Network recognized Marchy’s great play as they named him the No. 3 best wing in the league right now.

While I recognize Marchand as a great player, I didn’t realize just how highly others think of him around the league. He’s an amazing scorer and puck handler, and he is all heart and hustle.

Here’s the full NHL Network top 20 wings list.

I’m very surprised to see that Alex Ovechkin was only ranked as the 6th best wing in the NHL right now. He may have lost a step as he gets older, but he still seems to dominate. Marchand ranks just below Patrick Kane and Nikita Kucherov, who are both superstars in the league. Marchand is growing into a superstar NHL role himself it seems. Here is the NHL Network’s take on Marchand’s play.

"More from Chowder and Champions3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster DeadlineMLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 SeasonRed Sox Continue Rollercoaster Season With Massive Win“Marchand finished tied for fifth in the League in points (85) and tied for fourth in goals (39) last season. He also was one of nine NHL players to average more than one point per game (1.06, seventh). It was the fourth straight season he had at least 24 goals and the sixth time in his NHL career. Marchand, 29, also had NHL career highs in power-play goals (nine), power-play points (24) and game-winning goals (eight), and was named to the NHL First All-Star Team. He won the Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011 and has 374 points (192 goals, 182 assists) in 534 NHL games.”"

David Pastrnak came in at No. 15 on the list, giving the Bruins two top 20 players. At just 21, Pasta will get even better as the years go on, and he could become the best wing in the league. Right now, he’s just waiting on a new contract to stay in Boston.

Pastrnak finished right behind Marchand last season with 34 goals and 70 points. Boston likely wants to keep Pasta’s new contract under the amount of Marchand’s, but that may not be possible with the way contract money for young players is trending upwards.

Either way, Boston will have a chance to contend in the Eastern Conference while they have both Marchand and Pastrnak on the roster. The team also hopes young players like Anders Bjork, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, and Charlie McAvoy can contribute, while Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara provide leadership.

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The Boston Bruins will open their 2017-18 season at home at the TD Garden against the Western Conference Champion Nashville Predators on October 5th. Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak will both play huge roles for the Bruins in that game and for the year as a whole.