“Leafs fans in shambles” “Six years for 37-year-old”: NHL fans react as Brad Marchand signs $32M contract extension with Panthers

The Florida Panthers re-signed forward Brad Marchand to a six-year, $32 million deal on Monday evening. The deal, initially reported by insider Elliotte Friedman, marks an impressive feat by Panthers GM Bill Zito to keep the team’s big three free agents in Florida.

The news of the deal set off a storm of fan reactions across X. Here’s a look at what fans had to say about Marchand’s extension.

Meanwhile, other fans questioned the rationale behind Brad Marchand’s extension. Let’s check out what these fans wrote on X.

Following the deal, the Florida Panthers will have gone over the salary cap ceiling. However, it’s worth pointing out that teams are able to go over the cap limit by 10% during the offseason. That situation will buy the Panthers some time to clear cap space before training camp.

Brad Marchand’s a slight overpay for Florida Panthers

Rumblings around the NHL suggested that Brad Marchand could be in line for a hefty pay raise if he went to market.

He was coming off an eight-year deal with a $6.125 million AAV. But his performance in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs prompted speculation that Marchand could fetch as much as $10 million AAV on the open market.

That assessment seemed somewhat overstated as The Athletic projected Marchand to get a two-year deal at $5.09 million AAV. Under that assumption, Marchand’s new six-year deal at $5.3 million AAV is a slight overpay.

While the AAV may not seem overwhelmingly high, the six years on the contract raised more than a few eyebrows. The Panthers, in all likelihood, inked Marchand to such a long-term deal in order to keep the AAV down.

The contract will take Marchand to his age-43 season. By most standards, it seems unlikely Marchand will play that long. But then again, athletes are playing at high levels well into their late 30s nowadays. So, it might not be a stretch to see Marchand hit the ice well after 40.

About the author

Nestor is an NHL and MLB writer at Sportskeeda with over 10 years of experience. Growing up in Toronto, he became an avid Maple Leafs and Blue Jays fan, but also admires the New York Islanders and Los Angeles Dodgers for their dominance in the 80s. Holding an Economics and Education major, Nestor’s passion for writing and sporting events led him to take up reporting about the sport professionally.

Nestor credits the Leafs’ playoff runs in the early '90s as having a lasting impact on him. His favorite players are Doug Gilmour and Mike Bossy, as he feels they were tough, talented leaders, while Pat Burns is his favorite coach of all time for always preaching a fast-paced game.

Growing up in Canada, it was natural for Nestor to become interested in ice hockey and he played Minor Hockey as a teenager, which has given him a unique perspective on the sport. Nestor has mastered the art of how to best present facts and he also has a knack for knowing which sources can be trusted, and which can't for stories.

When he is not writing about Canada’s national passion, Nestor enjoys running and hiking.

Know More