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Brad Marchand shared an update on his recovery from three offseason surgeries at the 21st annual Boston Bruins Foundation Golf Tournament. He had surgery on his elbow, groin and abdominal area.
Marchand said he feels good and is improving each day. He might miss the first few days of training camp, but he’s pleased with his progress. He’s already skating and practicing with his teammates.
"I feel good. I feel better every day." Marchand said, "You know, if I don't start camp, I'll be the first couple days, but everything's progressing, you know, faster than I think it was expected, which feels great."
"You know, I think the concern coming back was my arm and kind of how long that would take, but I'm right there. I'm shooting and passing and I got to skate with the guys today for the first time. So, yeah, it's been really good so far. I'm still going to have a little bit of time to have to catch up. Condition wise. It takes a little bit longer to come back, but all in all, I'm happy with where I'm at." Marchand explained.
Marchand is confident he will be ready for the season opener. He still needs to test his recovery in game situations but expects to be fit.
"I would be very surprised if I wasn't ready to go for Opening night. I mean, I can't until I get into a battle situation where I can really test it. I don't know, but with, with how it's progressing, I should be fine for the season."
Brad Marchand also mentioned that his elbow injury means he can’t play golf at the event, though he’s been tempted. Marchand, who took over as Bruins captain from Patrice Bergeron, had a strong season last year with 29 goals and 38 assists for a total of 69 points.
Brad Marchand's strategy for the upcoming Bruins season
The Boston Bruins begin training camp on September 18. Brad Marchand plans to treat the next two months like summer training, focusing on conditioning and strength. He said he is starting from a low point but is optimistic about his progress.
Brad Marchand is in the final year of his eight-year, $49 million contract. He has played all 15 NHL seasons with the Bruins. He wants to keep playing until he’s at least 40-years-old, but will not discuss contract negotiations publicly. He prefers to keep those talks private with Bruins general manager Don Sweeney.
