For nearly the last decade and a half, Brad Marchand overcame quite a few hurdles en route to becoming one of the league’s elite talents.
The Bruins selected him in the third round of the 2006 selection and while plenty of diamonds in the rough came out of the later rounds throughout NHL history, few scouts likely projected Marchand as a top-six commodity.
Sure, Marchand showcased his scoring touch in the junior hockey ranks. He followed up with two productive seasons in Providence during his initial stint with the organization. But anything beyond a bottom-six energy role seemed unlikely once he earned a full-time roster spot in Boston under former coach Claude Julien during the 2010-11 season.