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Brad Marchand’s future is up in the air in Boston after this season, and now, one report reveals the financial gain that could incentivize him to leave the team.

The Boston Bruins are off to a 6-6-1 start through 13 games this season, and with these early struggles and their lack of Stanley Cup Playoff success in recent times, it could lead to some big changes this off-season. One change could be the departure of captain Brad Marchand, as he is a free agent in the coming summer, and now, one report from The New York Post confidently claims that Boston «are losing out on top talent who prefer to play in states with lower taxes so they walk away with more in income.»

This could end up leading to Marchand’s departure, as the report specifically zones in on the Bruins captain, claiming that he would have made almost half a million dollars more had he played in one of the states that lacks state income tax.
«Brad Marchand, the Bruins’ veteran forward, earned $5 million before taxes in the 2023-24 season. But after being levied a state income tax in Massachusetts, his take-home pay was just $2.934 million.

“Had Marchand played for a team in either Nevada, Washington State, Florida or Texas, he would have walked home with $3.3 million, or around $400,000 more, according to MOA.»
 

 

 

The report points to the success of teams in those states (Florida and Nevada specifically), as they have won four of the past five combined Stanley Cups, and would see players take home significantly more money had they played in those states. While there’s no signs yet of a rift between the Bruins and Marchand, we saw what happened this past summer with the negotiations with Jeremy Swayman, and while he ultimately got signed, the bad blood and the struggles early could lead Marchand away.

There’s no reason why teams with state income tax can’t consistently win Stanley Cups, but in recent years it’s become a clear advantage for those teams, and if one comes calling, it’s hard to see the Bruins beating a top tier offer if they can’t go deep this season.