The nightmare of every Boston Bruins fan became reality on Friday afternoon just before 3 o'clock. Brad Marchand has been a staple of the franchise and GM Don Sweeney did what some didn't think he would do, he traded his captain.
It's one thing to trade Marchand, but it's another thing to trade him to a division rival. Sweeney sent Marchand to the Florida Panthers for a conditional draft pick, which didn't sit well with fans. Now, fans will watch the postseason with the Black and Gold not part of it and to compound matters, Marchand will do it with the Panthers.
Grading Brad Marchand's trade to the Florida Panthers
In the overall big picture, this isn't a return that Bruins fans were hoping they would get. Trading your captain, despite his age and current injury, a first-round pick is a must. The conditions of this one make you scratch your head.
During his press conference on Friday night with the media, Sweeney said that the pick received from Florida is a second round pick in 2027, but becomes a first round pick in 2028 if Marchand plays in 25% of the Panthers' first two rounds of the playoffs. If he is healthy, that's easy to see happening.
There were conversations between Marchand and the team about a contract extension and there was a gap according to Sweeney, which leads you to believe that trading him was a last-second decision. That would also explain the lack of return that Boston got with a draft pick that will be likely three years away. Who is to say that Sweeney is even here to oversee the pick?
Trading you captain, franchise icon and leader, you would think that Boston would have just held onto Marchand considering the return they got from the Panthers. Who knows what Marchand's future holds and where he'll play beyond this season, but this feels like a trade where Sweeney and the Bruins were fleeced. I know, that's not saying much.