Brad Marchand injury update: Boston Bruins suffer massive blow as HC Joe Sacco gives latest on captain's availability

We may have seen Brad Marchand play his last game as a Boston Bruin. It was announced on Tuesday morning by Bruins coach Joe Sacco that Marchand will be out week-to-week with an upper body injury.

The Bruins captain suffered the injury during the first period of Saturday's 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marchand took an awkward hit into the boards from defenseman P.O. Joseph and appeared to be in significant discomfort.

Here is a clip of the play:

He left the game and did not return. Marchand then missed Sunday afternoon's 1-0 shutout loss in Minnesota against the Wild. The injury will presumably keep Brad Marchand out of the lineup until after the March 7 NHL trade deadline.

Boston Bruins reporter Shawn Hutcheon shared on X (formerly Twitter) the injury update provided by Joe Sacco on Tuesday.

"Today, #NHLBruins Joe Sacco said that Brad Marchand is week-to-week with an upper-body injury," Hutcheon wrote.

Marchand had not missed a game this season before this upper-body injury. The 36-year-old has had another productive campaign, registering 47 points (21 goals, 26 assists) in 61 games. Boston will be in a tough spot with their second-leading point scorer out of the lineup for some time. His absence was felt as the Bruins were unable to muster up one goal on Sunday in Minnesota.

It remains to be seen whether the injury will affect Brad Marchand's future with the Bruins

Brad Marchand's future in Boston remains unclear even after this latest injury.

The career-long Bruin is a pending unrestricted free agent in the final season of an eight-year, $49,000,000 contract. With Boston on the outside of the playoff picture looking in and Marchand unsigned, the star winger has surfaced in trade rumors ahead of the deadline.

He's always reaffirmed his desire to finish his career in Boston, though the Bruins may opt to move him as they retool their roster. It's unknown whether this injury will change general manager Don Sweeney's plans with three days until the deadline. If they do indeed move him, Saturday's game in Pittsburgh will have been Marchand's final game as a Boston Bruin.

The Bruins will carry on without their captain on Tuesday night when they host the struggling Nashville Predators. The puck drops at 7 p.m. EST at TD Garden.