Brad Marchand to Florida Panthers: Breakdown of blockbuster trade of Boston Bruins' captain

Brad Marchand has been traded to the Florida Panthers by the Boston Bruins in exchange for a conditional second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. If Florida wins two playoff rounds in 2025 and Marchand plays in at least half the games, the pick will become a first-rounder. The Bruins will also keep 50% of his salary.

Marchand, 36, is in the last year of his eight-year, $49 million contract. He has 47 points in 61 games this season but is currently out with an upper-body injury. Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said they had contract talks but could not reach an agreement.

“Just had a gap,” Sweeney said, via NHL.com. “Deep down. We had been talking really from day two of free agency in terms of what his intentions were and where we were at. We always had a bit of a term gap that took us a while. Felt that we had been able to bridge that.

"But, again, a player is more than entitled to have an understanding of what they think their market value is and do what’s best for them. And I have to always respect that.”

Brad Marchand played 16 seasons with the Bruins and was the captain for two years. He is among the team’s all-time leaders in games, goals, assists and points. He has scored at least 20 goals in 14 seasons and won the Stanley Cup with Boston in 2011.

Florida will play in Boston on Tuesday, which could potentially be Marchand’s first game against the Bruins.

Florida Panthers' GM praised Brad Marchand after his trade

The Florida Panthers are leading the Atlantic Division, meaning Brad Marchand joins a strong team with playoff hopes. Panthers GM Bill Zito praised Marchand following the trade.

"We think he still has some gas in the tank," Zito said via NHL.com. "He is a dynamic player; he's a multi-faceted whether it's his skill, his speed, his hockey sense, his will-to-win, his compete. … Really looking forward to adding him to our mix. I think he fits in."

Brad Marchand and Panthers forward Sam Bennett recently played together for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off.