Brad Marchand will skate Friday for the first time since the Boston Bruins forward had surgery in May.
Marchand was expected to need six months to recover from a hip arthroscopy and labral repair on each hip and is on track to return in late November.
“It’s pretty much like learning how to skate again,” Marchand told the Bruins website at the Bruins Foundation Golf Tournament in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on Thursday. “Very light for this next little while and then hopefully progress each week. … The last few days of November is kind of the target date (to return).”
He is expected to be out the first six weeks of the season; Boston will play its 2022-23 opener at the Washington Capitals on Oct. 12.
Marchand led the Bruins in points (80) and was second in goals (32) last season behind the forward David Pastrnak (40) in 70 regular-season games. Marchand led Boston in goals (four), assists (seven) and points (11) in the Stanley Cup Playoffs; The Bruins lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games in the Eastern Conference First Round.
The 34-year-old had hernia surgery in 2020, which was when the hip injury arose.
“Once I got that done, I had issues all over the place, the hip issue they realized there was a little more to it,” Marchand said. “Then it was more just about figuring out how to do it. What it came down to was trying to get as many years out of my body as I could and to do that, I had to do it sooner than later. That’s why we did it this year.”
Marchand has scored at least 24 goals in each of the past nine seasons and has at least 80 points in five of the past six. He has played at least 70 games in eight of nine full NHL seasons since 2010-11 and has never missed more than 14 games in a season.
“It will be tough (not playing), but I think we’re in a good spot as a team,” Marchand said. “I think the toughest thing would be if the team wasn’t winning or doing well, then that would be really [bad]. But I don’t think that’s going to be the case. I think we’re going to have a really good start. The guys look really good right now … hoping that they put a really good push on.”
Earlier this offseason, centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci each signed a one-year contract with Boston. Bergeron, the Bruins captain, will be playing his 19th NHL season, and Krejci returns after spending last season in his native Czech Republic after playing 15 seasons with Boston (2006-21).
“I was obviously very, very thrilled about that,” Marchand said of Bergeron returning. “He’s a player that you can’t duplicate and we won’t ever have another one around here of that caliber. … He is such a special player and will give us a big opportunity this year. Same with ‘Krech’ … having both of them back in the middle makes us really deep there.”
Marchand also said he was excited about working with coach Jim Montgomery, who was hired July 1 to replace Bruce Cassidy, who was fired June 7.
“From what I’ve heard from guys that have played with him, played for him, and played under him, there’s nothing but great things to say,” Marchand said. “Looking forward to getting out there with him.”
Selected by Boston in the third round (No. 71) of the 2006 NHL Draft, Marchand ranks sixth in Bruins history in goals (351), seventh in points (795), ninth in assists (444) and 10th in games (874). .
He has 118 points (49 goals, 69 assists) in 139 playoff games and won the Stanley Cup in 2011.
“Obviously, things can happen,” Marchand said. “… [Not playing is] going to be tough, but it’s about the long game and hopefully I’ll feel good for the rest of the year and make [a] good push at the end.”
.