As the NHL trade deadline was coming to a close last March, Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney made a handful of moves that included some key players. Brad Marchand, Brandon Carlo, and Charlie Coyle were all traded with two of the three ending up in the Atlantic Division.
Carlo ended up with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Marchand landed with the Florida Panthers. He ended up playing a vital role in the Panthers winning their second straight Stanley Cup title over the Edmonton Oilers. After the season, Marchand was a free agent and there were a number of potential destinations thrown around. In the end, he re-signed with Florida for six years. On Wednesday, he spoke about what led to his trade from Boston six months ago.
Brad Marchand explains why things didn't workout in Boston and he was traded
Marchand spoke with the media on Wednesday, the first day of training camp in South Florida. At 37 years old, he mentioned that he wanted to play as long as he could and was not interested in signing a one, two, or three-year deal. Florida game him six and it was a no-brainer.
"I wanted to play as long as I can,'' Marchand said. "That's the reason it didn't workout in Boston..... I'm thrilled to be here for the next six years.''
Everyone thought that he would finish his career with the Black and Gold and it wasn't meant to be. Instead, he was traded by Sweeney and sent to a place where he had an opportunity to win another championship. He did and he re-signed with the chance to win more.
Credit to Sweeney for not giving in to Marchand's request for a long-term deal and make a huge financial mistake that would have tied the hands of the franchise for years to come. Instead, he did the right thing, parted ways with his captain and begins a new chapter of Boston Bruins hockey with a young core. Any deal over two or three years would not have been worth it for the future of the franchise.