General Manager Bill Zito has his mind set on propelling the Florida Panthers to dynasty status. After two consecutive Stanley Cup wins for which Zito rightly gets part of the credit, there is no way for the team not to look forward to a third. To secure the third win, Zito realizes the importance of retaining the Panthers’ elite roster.
The Panthers have incredible chemistry, and against the Oilers, an arguably one-line team, the South Florida outfit has a well-rounded roster. In keeping with the team’s championship roster, Zito blew $144.8 million in the combined contracts of Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and Brad Marchand.
Marchand, never one to shy away from speaking his mind, recently triggered quite a discourse on social media with his comments on the issue.
Social Media Reacts to Brad Marchand’s Comments on Panthers’ $144.8 Million Decision
Recently, Marchand highlighted the upside of playing in Florida. The relentless forward, who played a crucial role in the Panthers’ Stanley Cup quest, said that being a tax-free state, Florida enabled Zito’s move to retain all three.
Brad Marchand was very honest about his contract negotiations:
“Call it a spade of spade, if we were not in a non-tax state, it wouldn’t have worked out probably for two guys (him, Bennett, Ekblad). Two guys probably would have been leaving in that situation. So it’s a benefit…
— Alex Baumgartner (@ABaumgartner91) September 17, 2025
“Call it a spade of spade, if we were not in a non-tax state, it wouldn’t have worked out probably for two guys (him, Bennett, Ekblad). Two guys probably would have been leaving in that situation, the former Bruin revealed.
“So it’s a benefit that this team has, we were able to utilize and make work,” said Marchand, deviating from Zito’s words that it was entirely up to the players to continue to play for the team.
The veteran winger makes it clear that things could have looked very different without Florida’s non-tax status. Marchand even added that non-tax NHL teams are “some of the best-run teams/organizations in the NHL.”
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Expectedly, Marchand’s views attracted considerable noise. A social media user haughtily added that Marchand, in a fashion typical of him, was merely “trolling.” “He’s literally trolling the media & dumb fan bases. Pretty sure he knows his quote will be plastered everywhere.”
Another resonated with the idea and explained why the “non-tax” argument barely makes sense in the broader scheme of things.
“He is trolling for sure. Number one it only impacts half of the salary. Secondly the homeowner, car and flood insurance in Florida is much more than say Boston on the waterfront, or north shore. Not too mention schools are much better as well as medical care. Weather is the diff.”
A third X user highlighted that there are upsides and downsides to playing in every team.
“Every team’s location has upsides and downsides. California teams have higher taxes but California weather/beaches. NY teams have higher taxes but NYC food and nightlife. FLA/TBL have lower taxes but (in FLA/TB cases) SUPER high real estate premiums and property taxes. (1/2)”
Every team’s location has upsides and downsides. California teams have higher taxes but California weather/beaches. NY teams have higher taxes but NYC food and nightlife. FLA/TBL have lower taxes but (in FLA/TB cases) SUPER high real estate premiums and property taxes. (1/2)
— Drew Goldfarb (@DrewGoldfarb) September 17, 2025
Sensing unfairness, another NHL fan suggested a solution to this pesky problem. “Simple solution raise the cap for teams that don’t have this tax advantage good grief NHL get your collective act together.”
Beyond the noise, however, Marchand is dedicated to repeating his performance. He hopes to bring another Cup to Florida with the Panthers and realize the franchise’s dream of dynasty status.
