"Paid below market value": NHL insider Chris Johnston gives startling insight into Brad Marchand's Boston Bruins-Florida Panthers trade saga

The Boston Bruins sent captain Brad Marchand packing on Friday, trading him within the Atlantic Division to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a conditional second round Draft pick.

Per reports, the pick can become a first-round Draft selection in either 2027 or 2028 if the Panthers win their first two postseason series and Marchand participates in at least half of the games.

Reports indicated that there was a gap in negotiations between Marchand and Bruins management that eventually led to the deal being made. TSN's Chris Johnston explained that Marchand's current deal was paying him far below market value:

"Well, I mean, look, he's a pending UFA, you know he was, he's been such a great value player on the contract he signed," he said. "I still remember he signed that eight-year deal that's that's coming to an expire after a season during the World Cup in 2016."

"He was paid below market value throughout that contract. Now that's obviously a decision he made. But I do think he got to this point and he wants to, he wanted a three-year contract, which initially, the Bruins, weren't down for, they were trying to keep the term a little shorter."

Johnston continued:

" I think he still wants to be paid fairly, which is certainly his right to be done. And for a long, long time there was a gap in where the two sides saw, you know, what the extension would look like."

Marchand's eight-year, $49 million deal carried a cap hit of $6.125 million; he was allegedly seeking a new contract that would see him earn over $7 million per season.

Brad Marchand wasn't the only player that the Bruins dealt at the Trade Deadline

Marchand wasn't the only player that the Bruins decided to part ways with at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. They also sent defenseman Brandon Carlo within the division to the Toronto Maple Leafs, while also trading forward Charlie Coyle to the Colorado Avalanche.

The moves continued what have been recent major changes for the Bruins, who also traded goaltender Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators (again, within the division) for Joonas Korpisalo during the offseason.

They nearly began the season without Jeremy Swayman; the two sides were engaged in a lengthy standoff in contract negotiations before eventually coming to terms on an eight-year extension.