Brad Marchand’s best attribute actually is straight-forward.
The Boston Bruins right wing possesses the best backhand shot in the NHL, according to ESPN. Marchand’s mastery of this skill has produced consistent dividends for the player and his team in recent years, giving him the “best-backhand” title over chief rivals Sidney Crosby and Aleksander Barkov.
“Crosby has one of the best backhanders on the planet, and if we’re looking at backhand release, the edge goes to Crosby,” ESPN’s Chris Peters wrote Wednesday. “But backhand effectiveness goes to Marchand. No player in the NHL has scored as many goals off the backhand over the past five seasons as Marchand. The quality of the Boston winger’s hands often gets overlooked because of some of his other on-ice activities, but he is super skilled. He has 34 goals off the backhand since 2015-16. The next closest player, Barkov, has 25, and Crosby has 23.”
Those numbers make Marchand’s claim hard to dispute, and his backhand shots is a key aspect of his progression from solid contributor to All-Star to potential Hart Trophy contender.
Marchand wasn’t the only Bruins player ESPN recognizes for their exceptional skill. Defender Zdeno Chara finished runner-up to the Washington Capitals’ Tom Wilson in the “most physical” category, and goaltender Tuukka Rask was runner-up to Vegas Golden Knights’ Marc-Andre Fleury in the “most competitive goalie” category.
