There appears to be no discontent in Boston.
On Friday, Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand spoke with the media and responded to a report that said he and David Pastrňák didn’t want to play on the same line.
In response, Marchand noted that “there’s zero truth” to the story.
[Pastrňák] and I are best friends.” Marchand said. “We’ve been incredibly close for a long time, and the only reason we don’t play together is to spread the depth through the lineup. There’s zero truth to [Pastrňák] being a problem in the room.
Pastrňák also spoke to the media on Thursday. “Honestly, I’ve been laughing for a little bit. I don’t make much of it. I know how I feel about [Marchand] and know we love each other.”
It’s been a tough season for the usually dominant Bruins team. Midway through the season, they have a 20-19-5 record with 45 points, good enough to hold to first Wild Card position with many teams not far behind them.

Ridly Greig signed a four-year extension with the Senators

Sticking with an Atlantic Division team, the Ottawa Senators and Ridly Greig agreed to a four-year extension worth $13 million, or $3.25 million annually.
The 2024-25 season was the final year of Greig’s entry-level contract where he earns$863,333. The Lethbridge, Alberta native has six goals and 12 points in 37 games this season and is coming off a career-best season in 2023-24 where he scored 13 goals and 26 points in 72 games.
Greig was selected 28th overall by the Senators in the 2020 draft and debuted with the team in the 2022-23 season. The Senators have missed the postseason for seven consecutive seasons, but are just three points back of the final Wild Card spot midway through the season.

Islanders unlikely to trade Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri while in contention

Speaking with Newsday.com’s Andrew Gross, the general manager of the New York Islanders, Lou Lamoriello, reported that while the Islanders are in contention, neither Brock Nelson nor Kyle Palmieri will be traded.
As mentioned earlier in the article, the race for the Wild Card spots is wide open. The Columbus Blue Jackets hold on to the final spot with 44 points, with seven teams within five points. That includes the New York Islanders, who have a 16-18-7 record with 39 points.
This season, Palmieri has 12 goals and 27 points in 41 games, coming off his second career 30-goal season in 2023-24. Nelson has 11 goals and 23 points in 11 goals, coming off back-to-back-to-back 30-goal seasons where he scored 37, 36, and 34 goals respectively.
Nelson has a cap hit of $6 million while Palmieri has a cap hit of $5 million. Both contracts are expiring, ending after the 2024-25 season. Nelson ranked as Daily Faceoff’s first-ranked player in their latest Trade Targets article, while Palmieri ranked 13th.
If the Islanders do decide to sell, they’ll get a nice return for both players.
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