George Richards, FHN Publisher
SUNRISE — As the NHL Trade Deadline was nearing Friday afternoon, the Florida Panthers got a call. It was the Boston Bruins, and they were offering up captain Brad Marchand.
There was not much time left before the 3 p.m. deadline, so negotiations had to be quick.
And they were.
“I know the deadline was at 3 p.m, so it was right about that time,’’ captain Sasha Barkov said. “I thought ‘OK, this is probably it. No more news.’ And then it happened.’’
The Panthers and Bruins were one of the final teams to get their deal into the NHL Central Registry on Friday, with it not officially being cleared through a backed up queue until after 5 p.m.
By Saturday night, suitcase in tow, Marchand showed up to meet his new teammates in Sunrise as they beat up on the Sabres 4-0.
Marchand will be formally introduced to the South Florida media this morning.
Coach Paul Maurice said the plan is for Marchand to travel with the Panthers at least for the first leg of this six-game road trip which starts Tuesday, interestingly enough, in Boston.
The Panthers will play four games between Tuesday and Sunday against the Islanders before returning home for a couple of days. They will then continue the trip with games in Columbus and Washington.
“Everyone is excited, he is an amazing person, and a great player who brings out the best in everyone every day,’’ said Florida forward A.J. Greer, a teammate of Marchand’s in Boston during the Bruins’ record-setting 2022-23 season.
“He is a competitor, and whether it is in practice or in games, he always seems to elevate everyone around him. He is going to compliment this group really well. He is one of my really good friends, and I just can’t wait to hug him and joke around with him. Such an awesome guy to have day-in and day out.’’
There had been rumors that Marchand could be on the move after 16 seasons with the Bruins, but the fact that he got injured last Saturday against the Penguins — and his own words that he did not want to leave Boston just to chase the Stanley Cup — seemed to cool down talks a bit.
“I’ve always planned on playing here my entire career. That hasn’t changed,” Marchand said two weeks ago. “They’re aware of that. I think everyone’s aware of that. It’s a gift to play for this team. I take a tremendous pride in it.”
But as the Bruins went through trade deadline day dealing off players, and remained far apart on a new contract with Marchand, Boston GM Don Sweeney decided it was best for both sides to move on.
But to Florida?
Marchand and the Panthers certainly had an acrimonious relationship over the years, but that was only amplified in the two playoff rounds the two played in 2023 and 2024.
Florida won both of those series, with Sam Bennett concussing Marchand in Game 3 of last year’s second round with what then-coach Jim Montgomery called a sucker punch.
“That’s part of playoff hockey,’’ Marchand told reporters in Boston when asked about Bennett.
“You know, I have been on the other side of a lot of plays and, I think he got away with one. But that’s part of the game, definitely part of playoff hockey. It sucks to be on the other side of it, but that stuff happens.
“I’m not going to sit here and complain about it, that’s part of the game. But, yeah, I think he got away with one. But it is what it is.”
The Bruins reportedly were in talks with other teams about their captain, with the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes believed to be closest to getting Marchand.
Even though he only had an eight-team no-trade list, Sweeney wanted to make sure if he was going to trade away the only remaining player from the Bruins’ 2011 Stanley Cup championship team, it was going to be to the team Marchand wanted to go to.
And that was the Panthers.
“There’s never an ounce of me that won’t respect what a player thinks is best for him and his family,’’ Sweeney said. “And that’s a decision that was made.”
The Panthers ended up getting Marchand — who, with 21 goals this season, ranks third among Florida players — for a conditional second-round pick in 2028.
If the Panthers win the first two rounds of the playoffs, and Marchand plays in 50 percent of Florida’s postseason games, the draft selection moves up to a first-rounder. To make the money work for the Panthers, Boston retained 50 percent of Marchand’s $6.125 cap hit.
That leaves the Panthers with about $1 million under the cap, allowing them to bring up another player — perhaps Jesse Puljujarvi — if needed.
The big question is Marchand’s health.
Marchand was injured a week ago when he was run up against the boards in Pittsburgh by P.O Joseph; Marchand stayed down on the ice after the hit from behind, and had to be helped off the ice.
The Bruins initially said Marchand would be out week-to-week.
Sweeney, now with nothing to hide since Marchand was not with his team any more, said Friday that he would probably be out three-to-four weeks.
Florida general manager Bill Zito was privy to what Boston’s medical staff had to say on the injury, and Marchand was scheduled to meet with Florida’s doctors and trainers on Sunday to see what is up.
Those who spoke with Marchand on Saturday night say he was happy to be there, and was confident his injury, which is designated ‘upper body,’ is not too serious.
The Panthers, as is the case with all of their players, are not going to rush anyone back into the lineup until they are healthy enough to play.
Depending on his timeline, Marchand could make his debut with the Panthers when they kick off their final homestand of the regular season April 8 against the Maple Leafs.
The Panthers would have five games left before the playoffs, with four at home against Toronto, Detroit, Buffalo, and the Rangers.
Florida plays No. 82 on April 15 in Tampa.
“It’s awesome,’’ Barkov said. “Obviously, bringing in a guy like him is not an every day thing. We’re really excited to have him here, obviously can’t wait to see him on the ice playing for us and not against us. That’s the biggest thing.”