The Florida Panthers made a major splash ahead of the trade deadline, acquiring longtime Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand. Surprisingly, Panthers general manager Bill Zito admitted he hadn’t spoken with Marchand before finalizing the trade. “I haven’t even talked to him yet, but his track record speaks for itself,” Zito said. “We’re excited to have him and remain focused on building the best team possible.”
Marchand joins a Panthers squad that sits atop the Atlantic Division with a 39-21-3 record and 81 points, looking to defend last season’s Stanley Cup title. The 36-year-old winger, a four-time All-Star with 422 career goals and 976 points, adds toughness and championship experience to a lineup featuring Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, and Matthew Tkachuk. However, Tkachuk’s recent placement on long-term injured reserve created the necessary cap space to facilitate Marchand’s arrival.
Trade Announcement
Florida Receives: Brad Marchand (F)
Boston Receives: 2027 Conditional 2nd Round Pick
In return, the Panthers sent Boston a conditional second-round pick that could escalate to a first-rounder if Florida advances two playoff rounds and Marchand plays at least half of those games. Despite Marchand being sidelined with an upper-body injury sustained on March 1 against Pittsburgh, Zito is confident in the deal. “Our front office constantly evaluates and ranks players,” he said. “Ask any GM in the league about a player, and they’ll have a detailed report.”
While Marchand is expected to miss a few weeks, Florida remains optimistic that he’ll be ready for the playoffs. Zito is confident in his fit with the team, adding, “I expect a seamless transition.”
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