Maple Leafs John Tavares opens up about seeing ex-Bruins captain Brad Marchand in Panthers jersey

Former Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares shared his thoughts on seeing Brad Marchand in a Florida Panthers jersey. Marchand, who spent his whole career with the Boston Bruins before being traded on March 7, has been a longtime rival of Tavares in the Atlantic Division.

[4:57] "Yeah, it was different, no doubt," Tavares said. "He’s had a tremendous career in Boston and what he's accomplished there, being there for as long as he's been. So it was definitely different."

Marchand was traded to Florida for a conditional 2027 second-round draft pick. Before the trade, he had scored 21 goals and 26 assists in 61 games with Boston. He was in the last year of an eight-year, $49 million contract signed back in 2016. Since joining the Panthers, Marchand has scored just one point in six games. He has been recovering from an upper-body injury and adjusting to his new team.

The Florida Panthers are third in the Atlantic Division with a record of 44-29-4 and 92 points. Despite a five-game losing streak, they have already clinched a playoff spot. The team is the defending Stanley Cup champion after beating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 last year. Their core, including Sam Reinhart and Aleksander Barkov, remains strong, and the addition of Marchand adds more depth and valuable playoff experience.

Meanwhile, Tavares is also in the final year of his contract with Toronto. He signed a seven-year, $77 million deal with the Leafs in 2018. This season, he has tallied 36 goals and 34 assists for 70 points and a plus-10 rating. Like Marchand, Tavares is also part of the Leafs' core four. But he could also see a change of scenery if the Leafs don't have enough money to sign him, especially with big contracts for Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies also on the horizon.

Brad Marchand and the Panthers lost their fifth game since the trade

On Sunday, The Florida Panthers had their fifth consecutive loss, falling 2-1 to the Detroit Red Wings. Missing key players like Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett. Despite the loss, they remain third in the Atlantic Division.

Brad Marchand finished the game without a point. He served two penalty minutes for hooking Simon Edvinsson. Marchand played 19 minutes and 43 seconds of ice time and is adjusting to the Panthers' lineup.

Alex DeBrincat scored first for Detroit with a power-play goal in the second period. Later, J.T. Compher made it 2-0 with a glove-side shot. Anton Lundell scored for Florida with 40 seconds left, but they could not tie the game.