Hockey fans will need time to get used to the reality that Brad Marchand is no longer with the Boston Bruins. Marchand was traded by Boston to the Florida Panthers ahead of last Friday’s deadline for a conditional second-round pick in the 2027 NHL draft.
The 36-year-old veteran forward has never played a game in the NHL wearing non-Bruins threads, and while it’s uncertain when he’ll make his debut with his new team, he’s already been seen rocking Florida red during his Panthers introductory press conference on Monday.
“Like the red? It brings out my eyes,” Marchand said while wearing Panthers apparel, per Sportsnet.
Marchand is on an expiring contract that carries a cap hit of $6.12 million, but before he hits free agency in the summer, he will look to help the Panthers defend the Stanley Cup title Florida won in 2024.
Interestingly enough, Marchand’s Bruins were among the Panthers’ playoff victims on their way to the league title. Florida defeated the Bruins in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs via a 4-2 series result. The Panthers then proceeded to take down the New York Rangers in the conference finals and the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final.
Brad Marchand and the Bruins had a chance to further extend their partnership, but the two sides ultimately did not see eye-to-eye on the negotiation table, reportedly in terms of the average annual value of a three-year contract extension.
One lingering question about Brad Marchand as he starts his time with the Panthers is when exactly he will make his debut with his new squad. The four-time NHL All-Star has not played since he sustained an upper-body injury in a March 1 contest versus the Pittsburgh Penguins on the road. Marchand’s status was later deemed as week-to-week.
In 1,090 games with the Bruins, the 2011 Stanley Cup champion collected a total of 422 goals and 554 assists for 976 points. In what turned out to be his final season with Boston, Marchand had 21 goals and 26 points through 61 appearances in Bruins thread during the 2024-25 campaign.
Marchand joins a Panthers squad that is on top of the Atlantic division standings with a current record of 40-21-3 for 83 points.
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