Bruins Johansson and Marchand set to become best friends, will do karate in the garage

The Boston Bruins have acquired Marcus Johansson from the New Jersey Devils. Yes, the same guy Marchand knocked out with an elbow last season.

The Boston Bruins have acquired Marcus Johansson from the New Jersey Devils for second and fourth round picks in 2019 and 2020 respectively. The trade addresses the last area of need for Boston, giving them a player with the potential to be a top six winger (or at least someone they can easily plug into the top nine).

Talk about an awkward reunion, though. The last time Brad Marchand and Marcus Johansson saw each other on the ice, Johansson was eating Marchand’s elbow. The play was most likely accidental, but Johansson and the New Jersey Devils faithful didn’t feel that way.

Obviously, Marchand and Johansson were on opposite ends of the spectrum after the play occurred. In slow motion, it looks (very) dirty but in real-time, it looks like an accident. That’s what we’ll go with, giving Marchand the benefit of the doubt. Given how this play went down, it’s highly unlikely that Marchand even sees Johansson.

I get it. This probably angers all of you that aren’t Boston fans (and perhaps some that are). How dare I stand up for Brad Marchand in regards to this play (or any, for that matter). Watch how fast the play happens in real-time and focus on what Marchand is trying to do with the puck.

Accidental elbows don’t happen often, but they do happen. Marchand and Johansson are both adults and they’ve surely had a discussion about this by now. If not, they will, and it will likely include an apology from Marchand and a hug/high-five between the two in preparation for their Stanley Cup run. Regardless of how they feel, they are going to have to set aside their differences. Johansson already knows this.

The trade is a good one for the Bruins. It may not be as splashy as some fans had hoped but Johansson has the ability to be a top six winger, which is what Boston desperately needed. In the 2016-17 season, he collected 24 goals and 34 assists. He was injured the following year, but seems to be back on track this year and will benefit from a change of scenery.

Johansson has 12 goals and 15 assists through 48 games this year. There’s no doubt those numbers can go up playing with an elite squad in Boston. Whether they toss him on the top line with Bergeron and his new pal Marchand or plug him in the second line with a revitalized David Krejci, he should be able to help the squad make a run at the Cup.

Here’s to hoping Johansson can let it go. The vibe between him and Marchand may be frozen at first, but love is an open door in the Bruins locker room and for the first time in forever, these two will meet and Johansson’s frozen heart will move onward and upward to the royal pursuit of a Stanley Cup. Sure, Marchand can be a bit of a fixer upper, but some people are worth melting for. They could also just not talk about it. Conceal, don’t feel, right?

(There were 10 Frozen references in that paragraph)

Welcome to Boston, MoJo.