Brad Marchand free agency future: 3 best potential landing spots for Panthers superstar

At the trade deadline, the Boston Bruins parted ways with longtime star Brad Marchand, sending him to the Florida Panthers as the team looks to go back-to-back in the Stanley Cup.

Considering Marchand's contract is set to expire at the end of the season, there's no telling how the summer will play out for the future Hall of Famer.

With the offseason right around the corner, let's take a look at three potential landing spots for the NHL legend.

Three potential landing spots for Brad Marchand this summer

NHL: Stanley Cup Final-Florida Panthers at Edmonton Oilers - Source: Imagn

#1: Florida Panthers

Heading into this offseason, it's no secret that the Florida Panthers will face a cap crunch. The team is projected to have $19 million to spend, and most of it is almost sure to go to re-signing Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Mackie Samoskevich.

Despite that, it's hard to deny Brad Marchand's fit in Florida. This postseason, he's logged 17 points, notably finding the back of the net when the reigning champs need it most.

If the team goes all the way, Marchand's production could force Florida to figure out how to clear up cap space to retain the legendary winger.

NHL: Boston Bruins at Pittsburgh Penguins - Source: Imagn

#2: Boston Bruins

I know what you're thinking, "Didn't Boston just trade Marchand this season because the two sides couldn't reach an agreement on an extension?"

While that's true, and situations where a team trades away a player only to re-sign them the following summer are rare, we've seen it happen in the past. In 2015, Antoine Vermette was traded to Chicago. After winning the cup with the Blackhawks, he resigned with the Coyotes that summer.

Keith Tkachuk did something similar in the early 2000s after getting traded from St. Louis to Atlanta. Tkachuk played 18 games for the Thrashers before re-signing with St. Louis that summer to finish his career. Considering Brad Marchand's history in Boston, a reunion isn't out of the realm of possibility.

#3: Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs fans have had their Stanley Cup dreams crushed by Brad Marchand and the Bruins in five different Game 7s. Because of it, the future Hall of Famer gets booed religiously at Scotiabank Arena.

Despite that, according to a report from Nick Kypreos, the Leafs are expected to make a run at Marchand this summer. While Toronto supporters may not be fans of Marchand when he skates against their team, the one thing Leafs fans hate more than Marchand is their Stanley Cup drought.

Considering his production and the fact that he grew up a Leafs fan, the veteran winger could be the piece Toronto needs to make a cup run.

About the author

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

Know More

Wayne Gretzky’s wife Janet responds to critics questioning his loyalty to Canada, Bobby Orr's support following 4 Nations drama

Edited by Ribin Peter