Before the season, the franchise’s management said they shared that goal as the Boston captain headed into his walk-year. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent after this season. But at that time, the belief was that the Bruins would be Stanley Cup contenders not fighting for their playoff lives.

With the Boston Bruins barely treading water as a playoff contender, and with Marchand in the last year of a contract that has a limited no-trade clause, awkward questions are starting to be asked of the captain and longest-tenured Bruin.