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The Florida Panthers are on the verge of a third consecutive Eastern Conference title. Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, and Sergei Bobrovsky have been at the core of it all. But Brad Marchand was the latest addition to help the Panthers in the postseason.
The former Bruins captain came over at the trade deadline and has been sensational on the biggest stages. When Marchand hits free agency this offseason, will he stay with the Panthers? Or will he find a new team to bring to playoff glory?
Marchand is in the final year of an eight-year, $49 million deal he signed with the Bruins in 2016. That deal was seen as one of the biggest bargains in the league and still is, even with Marchand at 37 years old.
His next contract won't be a long-term deal, but it should bring him a significant raise. Not only has he earned a raise, but every team will have cap space with the first significant cap increase since the pandemic coming this summer.
Marchand has been a perfect fit with the Panthers in these playoffs, but will he stick around in free agency?
Brad Marchand and the Florida Panthers are a match made in heaven
Brad Marchand will always be a Boston Bruin. His number 63 will undoubtedly be retired, his contributions to the 2011 Stanley Cup won't be forgotten, and he embodied Boston perfectly. But he looks perfect as a Florida Panther, too. This era of the Panthers has been built on physicality, which is Marchand's best ability. Do not rule out a return to the Panthers in free agency.
If Marchand wants a gigantic pay raise, a total of over $10 million per season, that may price the Panthers out. They want to bring Sam Bennett back, already have Seth Jones locked in long term, and already gave Carter Verhaeghe a raise.
This is obviously a good problem to have for Florida. But it could cost them Marchand for a potential three-peat run, assuming they close it out this year.
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Flipping sides of an iconic rivalry
The Bruins and Canadiens have played some of the most iconic playoff series in the history of the NHL. Even though none of those came in Marchand's career, they are still bitter rivals.
Now, Marchand has a chance to change sides in the rivalry and help a young team make a deep playoff run. The Canadiens have a young core and could use a veteran to show them the way through next season.
Marchand famously said after Game 7 of the second round that he grew up a Maple Leafs fan. Between that and his Bruins past, it may be a tough sell to play in the Habs crest. But money talks, and the Canadiens are going to have a lot of it this offseason.
Who better to show undersized forwards Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki the way than potential Hall of Famer Brad Marchand? This is the perfect fit and exactly what the Canadiens need after Tom Wilson bullied them in the playoffs.
Reuniting with Jim Montgomery
This season was a disaster for the Boston Bruins. It started with the firing of Jim Montgomery, who was immediately scooped up by the St Louis Blues. He brought the Blues to the playoffs from the depths of the Western Conference, and the future is bright in St. Louis. If Marchand and Montgomery saw eye-to-eye in Boston, he would be great for their middle six next season.
When Montgomery was the coach of the Bruins, Marchand had two 20-goal seasons, and the team was successful. The 2022-23 team set the record for standings points in a season but lost in the first round. Montgomery and Marchand had success together, and with the coach's new core needing a jolt, Marchand is available.
