The Bruins are doubtlessly delivery out captain Brad Marchand to the Panthers, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet studies. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic studies the commerce is going on, pending league name. Boston is receiving a 2027 second-round choose that may improve to a 2028 first-round choose if circumstances are met, per John Buccigross of ESPN.
Simply days after swapping top young goaltender
Spencer Knight for top-four defenseman Seth Jones, the Florida Panthers are taking one other swing at touchdown the blockbuster deal of the Commerce Deadline. They’re capable of tackle the majority of Marchand’s $6.125M cap hit after putting star winger Matthew Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve. Tkachuk is predicted to probably miss the remaining regular season after struggling a lower-body damage on the 4-Nations Face-Off. Florida grew to $4.1M in deadline cap area after that transfer, although they’ll nonetheless must shed roughly $2M in cap area to completely afford Marchand.
Marchand will fill Tkachuks’ function of getting beneath opponents’ pores and skin completely. Tenacious forechecking and excessive scoring have been the defining attributes of Marchand’s 16-year profession with the Bruins. He ranks fourth in Bruins franchise historical past in targets (422), video games performed (1,090), and penalty minutes (1,113). Marchand additionally ranks fifth in all-time factors (976). These are spectacular data for a career-long participant on an Authentic Six membership, and so they form Marchand’s standing as probably the greatest Bruins of the 2010s.
Marchand’s legacy in Boston runs deep. The Bruins initially drafted him within the third spherical of the 2006 NHL Draft and awarded him along with his NHL debut 4 years later. Marchand didn’t escape in 20 common season video games to start out his profession, however did explode as a high-affect, top-six ahead as Boston entered the 2011 postseason. He recorded 11 targets, 19 factors, 40 penalty minutes, and a plus-12 in 25 video games of Boston’s playoff run, finally supporting the workforce to their first Stanley Cup win since 1972.
That postseason efficiency stapled Marchand to Boston’s top-six, and he didn’t give the workforce an opportunity to second-guess. He scored 21 targets and 41 factors in 77 video games in his first full NHL season. He went on to common 23.2 targets and 45.4 factors every season via the primary 5 years of his profession. However Marchand had loads extra in retailer. He broke out with 37 targets and 61 factors within the 2015-16 season, the beginning of seven-year streak of rivaling or breaking the 30-goal mark. Alongside the way in which, Marchand posted a career-high 100 factors within the 2018-19 season – on the again of a harmful duo with Boston’s David Pastrnak.
Marchand continues to provide into this season. He has 21 targets and 47 factors on the 12 months, good for second on the Bruins in targets and factors – and an 82-game tempo of 28 targets and 63 factors. However his eight-year contract is about to run out on the finish of the season, and Boston has opted to internet belongings for him whereas they will fairly than let him stroll in free company.
The headache of enjoying in opposition to Marchand might solely worsen for his opponents across the Atlantic Division. This transfer sends him to the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the place the function of a top-line grinder and scorer is clearly carved out. The Panthers rank second within the Japanese Convention with a 39-21-3 file this season. In addition they rank eighth within the NHL with a 3.25 goals-per-game common – simply over 1.5 targets greater than Boston has averaged this season.
Transferring to an improved offense, and certain set to fill a job subsequent to celebrity Aleksander Barkov, ought to give Marchand a serious scoring enhance. He managed 29 targets and 67 factors final season, and will rapidly rediscover these totals because the Panthers search for a hard-nosed finisher in entrance of the web.
Whereas the Panthers work to take advantage of out of Marchand’s first transfer away from Boston, the Bruins will work to discover a cheap top-line alternative. Boston acquired ahead Casey Mittelstadt from the Colorado Avalanche earlier on Deadline day, which might open up an opportunity for Elias Lindholm or Matthew Poitras to push for the highest left-wing function. If not a transformed heart, Boston will probably want to show in the direction of spot scorers like Morgan Geekie or Riley Tufte.
The Bruins might additionally use this as a golden likelihood to recall high prospect Fabian Lysell. Lysell ranks third amongst lively Windfall Bruins in scoring with 30 factors in 46 video games this season. He acquired his NHL debut earlier this season, however was reassigned after one outing with none scoring. Many followers have yearned for Lysell’s call-up all through many of the final two seasons – although it appears Boston remains to be wanting him to seek out one other gear earlier than they promote him full-time. Lysell scored 50 factors in 56 AHL video games final 12 months – good for fourth on Windfall in scoring.
Marchand took over Boston’s captaincy after star Patrice Bergeron retired in 2023. Dealing him away shall be a monumental shift for the Bruins lineup, that may probably take years to completely heal from. The potential for a 2028 first-round choose will assist that course of, although Boston might nonetheless find yourself a high title in purchaser’s markets to come back as they give the impression of being to redefine their future. In the meantime, Florida will inherent Marchand’s expiring contract. The 36-year-old winger might fairly signal a short-term deal this summer season to spherical out the tip of his profession, however that curiosity might be gauged by how lengthy of a postseason run Florida is ready to obtain. The Panthers added two top-of-the-lineup items in Marchand and Jones, bolstering a roster that was already ranked close to the highest of the NHL. They’ll be a formidable foe because the postseason rolls round.
