When the Boston Bruins traded Brad Marchand at the trade deadline last March, it signaled the end of his time with the Black and Gold. He was going to be a free agent at season's end with the Florida Panthers.
Little did anyone know what was about to come. Marchand ended up being a huge part of the Panthers' run to a second straight Stanley Cup championship last spring. One thing was clear following the season: Marchand wasn't ready to hang up the skates anytime soon.
When the dust settled on free agency, Marchand re-signed with the Panthers to run it back and help the organization try and win a third straight Cup. There were, however, questions if Florida could afford Boston's former captain, but in the end, they could. If he wasn't going to return to Florida, where would he have ended up?
Former Bruins captain Brad Marchand reveals potential free agent destinations
Florida makes its first trip to Toronto to play the Maple Leafs on Tuesday night since eliminating them in the Eastern Conference semifinals in seven games last spring. On Tuesday morning, Marchand met with the media and dropped a wild quote about his free agency last summer. According to Chris Johnston of The Athletic, Marchand said it was between Florida and Toronto where he was going to go.
Marchand was also complimentary of the Maple Leafs this season despite their struggles. It feels like when he was being complimentary, he took a subtle shot at the fanbase, and you could say, well, he trolled them as Brad Marchand has done for years.
"It's unfortunate the fans ran Marner out of town,'' said Marchand. "I mean, that's a huge impact on their group. He's a point per game player, that hurts."
So here we are. Maybe Marchand was considering the Maple Leafs in free agency, but how realistic was it that he was going to end up there? Instead, he re-signed in Florida and has been big for the Panthers in surviving several injuries to remain in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt. He'll likely be booed when he touches the puck, but it wouldn't be Brad Marchand playing the Toronto Maple Leafs with a trolling, no? Remember what happened after Game 7 in the 2024 playoffs?