In a move that shocked the hockey world, the Boston Bruins traded their captain, Brad Marchand, to their division rivals, the Florida Panthers, just before the trade deadline on Friday.
While it seemed increasingly likely that Marchand wouldn’t reach a contract extension with the Bruins, the ultimate decision to trade him to the Panthers caught everyone off guard. In exchange, Boston received a 2027 conditional second-round pick. Despite reports suggesting Marchand would likely go to a west coast team, he’s now joining the Panthers, who are currently leading the Atlantic Division.
It seems neither side wanted this outcome, as negotiations for an extension reportedly continued until at least last month. ESPN’s Emily Kaplan revealed that Boston offered the 36-year-old Marchand a three-year deal in February, but disagreements over the Average Annual Value (AAV) of the contract led to a breakdown.
Kaplan also reported that ownership approved the three-year deal, but the financial terms were a sticking point. Boston also reportedly offered Marchand a two-year deal with a $3 million AAV, which he declined.
Ultimately, Marchand preferred to stay on the East Coast, a factor that played into his decision to join Florida, a team he’s had a heated rivalry with in recent years. Interestingly, Marchand will now be teammates with Sam Bennett, a player he’s had conflicts with on the ice—though they recently won together on Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Now, Marchand will join the Panthers as they aim for a Stanley Cup run this season.