The Boston Bruins upset their fans when they traded team captain Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers at the 2025 NHL trade deadline. While Marchand is competing in the Stanley Cup Final for the Panthers against the Edmonton Oilers, is there a chance that he could ultimately choose to return to Boston in the offseason as a free agent?
Former “Hockey Night in Canada” host Don Cherry has given the Boston faithful hope that a reunion could be in the works with a beloved former member.
Don Cherry Believes an Arrangement Could Have Been Made Between Panthers, Bruins
The Bruins sent Marchand to the Panthers and, in return, received a conditional second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. There also was a stipulation in the deal that the pick could turn into a first-round pick if Marchand appeared in at least half of Florida’s postseason games, which he has.
But Cherry also guessed that there could be a potential reunion in the works between Marchand and the Bruins. “Maybe [the Panthers and Bruins met and] said, ‘Well, listen, you sign him for this year,” Cherry said on “The Don Cherry’s Grapevine Podcast.” “We’ll sign him next year.”
Cherry’s son, Tim, said that he would include Marchand in the discussion for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which Don agreed with.
“You gotta pick one of those guys [Marchand, Sam Bennett, or Sergei Bobrovsky]. I would say Marchand,” Tim said.
“Yeah,” Don replied. “This would be the toughest one of them all.”
Marchand appears to be enjoying his time with Florida and seemingly found the Fountain of Youth, thanks to his incredible performance not only in the playoffs but in the Stanley Cup Final. Once a hated rival, Marchand could very well be the final piece of the puzzle for a second championship parade for the Panthers.
It could be a difficult decision for members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association to settle on a clear-cut favorite for the Conn Smythe Trophy if the Panthers ultimately win the Stanley Cup again.
Bennett might be the front-runner with an NHL-leading 15 postseason goals. Marchand has 10 postseason goals at this time.
Bobrovsky has posted a solid 2.26 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage with three postseason shutouts.
Game 6 between the Panthers and Oilers will be played on Tuesday, June 17, starting at 8 p.m. ET.
As a longtime Bruins fan, I wanted nothing more than for Marchand to fail terribly in Florida.
Boo.