In a perfect world, Brad Marchand would still be in Boston and holding court as the Bruins’ captain this fall.
It’s a scenario that the 37-year-old winger mapped out on numerous occasions going into his contract year with Boston last year. It was a result echoed by Don Sweeney, who stressed that he wanted to make Marchand a “lifelong Bruin” back in May 2024.
That reality splintered in March, with the Bruins trading Marchand to the Florida Panthers amid stalled contract negotiations and Boston’s middling play.
After playing an essential role in Florida’s second-straight Stanley Cup title, Marchand opted to stick around with Boston’s rival for what is expected to be the remainder of his Hall-of-Fame career — inking a whopping six-year deal with the Panthers worth $5.