Bruins, Maple Leafs, Mammoth Eye Marchand: Shocking Trade Buzz Ignites Frenzy!

The NHL’s free agency clock is about to strike noon ET on Tuesday, and the buzz around Brad Marchand’s next chapter? It’s heating up, big time. At 37, Marchand isn’t just any veteran left winger — he’s a seasoned dynamo whose name has been tossed around not only in Boston but also Toronto and even the Utah Mammoth’s ambitious offseason plans. Now here’s where it gets captivating: Marchand, fresh off a monumental playoff run that crowned Florida Panthers as back-to-back Stanley Cup champs, is stepping into the unrestricted free agent spotlight. The Bruins, grappling with one of the league’s dullest offenses last season, are itching to plug that scoring gap — and Marchand, despite his age, still packs a punch worthy of a top-six forward’s slot. Could this be a reunion waiting to happen, or will the Panthers lock him down again alongside Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad? The chess game is set — and trust me, every move counts. LEARN MORE

Could we see Brad Marchand back with the Boston Bruins?

The veteran forward is able to become an unrestricted free agent Tuesday when NHL free agency opens at noon ET.

TSN’s Darren Dreger reported Monday that if Marchand reaches free agency, the Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Utah Mammoth could have “strong” interest in signing the 37-year-old left wing.

Here’s what TSN’s Pierre LeBrun wrote Sunday on X about Marchand:

“Several teams including Boston and Toronto hope to talk to (Marchand) come Tuesday when the market opens, if he doesn’t re-sign with the Cup champs. The Bruins would certainly be open to bringing him back. But again, perhaps Marchand re-signs in Florida.”

The Bruins weren’t able to work out an extension with Marchand before the trade deadline, and as a result, they traded him to the Florida Panthers for a conditional 2027 second-round pick, which was upgraded to a first-round pick after the two conditions were met.

Marchand was a perfect fit with the Panthers and was arguably their best player in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs — a run that ended with Florida winning its second consecutive championship. The Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers in a six-game Stanley Cup Final.

Marchand scored six goals in the Cup Final, and he tallied 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 23 playoff games for the Panthers overall.

The Panthers re-signed center Sam Bennett to an eight-year, $64 million contract last week. Marchand and defenseman Aaron Ekblad are Florida’s two most notable free agents remaining.

The Bruins ranked as one of the worst offensive teams in the league last season, and they were the fourth-lowest scoring team after the trade deadline. Marchand is still a legitimate top-six forward who can score 25-30 goals if healthy for a full season. Bringing him back would make a lot of sense.