Brad Marchand makes his retirement plans crystal clear following Boston Bruins' season slump

Brad Marchand has spoken about his future as trade rumors swirl around the Boston Bruins. The team is outside a playoff spot, and insiders believe they could be sellers before the trade deadline.

Marchand's name has come up in speculation, but he does not seem concerned. On Tuesday's episode of the "What Chaos!" podcast, Marchand discussed his career, the trade rumors and how long he plans to play.

"I've always wanted to play till I was 40, that's kind of the goal I've had for a while," Marchand said. "I've had conversations with guys I've played with in the past, and I think I want to play as long as I can still be effective. I don’t want to reach the point where I’m just filling a spot in the lineup." (15:27)

Brad Marchand reflected on his NHL journey, saying he never considered playing in the league a realistic goal as a child. Not the best player growing up, he considered being a police officer or working for his father's company. When he got the chance to play professional hockey, he made sure never to take it for granted.

Marchand also spoke about his family, noting his children enjoy watching him play and visiting the team's locker room. He said their experiences in the NHL environment motivate him to continue playing.

Boston is just one point away from a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Trading Marchand would be surprising unless the team falls further out of contention.

"I don’t have a set end date. I want to play as long as I can still be effective. But I think it would be pretty incredible to play till 40," Marchand added.

The March 7 trade deadline will bring more clarity, but for now, Brad Marchand plans to keep playing. So far this season, Marchand has scored 20 goals and 24 assists for 44 points.

Brad Marchand and Bruins entered 4 Nations Face-Off after 4-3 loss to Golden Knights

The Boston Bruins lost 4-3 to the Vegas Golden Knights at TD Garden on Saturday. Brad Marchand scored first at 3:17, assisted by Nikita Zadorov. Zadorov made it 2-0 at 13:49. Mark Stone cut the lead to 2-1 on a power play. Morgan Geekie made it 3-1 in the second. Zach Whitecloud scored late to make it 3-2.

Pavel Dorofeyev tied it early in the third. Tomas Hertl scored the game-winner on a power play with 1:10 left. Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves for Boston. Ilya Samsonov stopped 21 shots for Vegas.