With the 2025 NHL Draft done and dusted, teams across the league will now have to deal with free agency. But if one name has attracted the most intrigue, it is Brad Marchand. While he started the 2024-25 season with the Boston Bruins, he was traded to the Florida Panthers at the trade deadline when contract extension talks with the Bruins reached a deadlock.
And with 20 points (10 goals and 10 assists) across 23 postseason games, he was a significant catalyst for the Panthers’ second consecutive Stanley Cup. But now, the 37-year-old is on the verge of becoming a free agent, and one former player has some special advice for him.
Paul Bissonnette Suggests Brad Marchand Join the Toronto Maple Leafs
Panthers GM Bill Zito had already addressed how he would like to secure all three of his front line: Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and Brad Marchand. In a recent interview, he mentioned, “If what I think isn’t accurate, and it might not be, OK. We have a Plan B and a Plan C.
“But my preference, and maybe I’m hoping, is that there’s enough for guys to want to stay and be part of this, be treated fairly, and be happy. And that’s the most important thing,” Zito said. Now, in an ideal scenario, this would have been possible.
But with the Panthers re-signing Bennett and Ekblad, things could be tricky. Bennett signed an eight-year, $64 million deal, while Ekblad was retained with an eight-year, $48.8 million deal. Now, only Marchand remains.
But with just $1.27 million remaining in cap space, it will be very tough to keep Marchand in South Florida. Seeing this, former winger Bissonnette tweeted that Marchand shouldn’t renew with the Panthers.
Marchand should go ultimate heal turn and sign with the Leafs. The league needs it. Not Boston. Not Florida. Toronto. Make Brad Marchand a Leaf. Would be an incredible start to the off season.
— Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0) June 29, 2025
In his tweet, he wrote, “Marchand should go ultimate heel turn and sign with the Leafs. The league needs it. Not Boston. Not Florida. Toronto. Make Brad Marchand a Leaf. Would be an incredible start to the offseason,” he said.
This could be a realistic option for the Maple Leafs, who, with Mitch Marner out of the camp, could use a veteran winger on the front line. However, after his excellent performance in the finals, Marchand’s cap hit has risen to an expected $6.5 million. This makes it very tough for the Maple Leafs to secure Marchand unless he is ready to get a pay cut.
One possible option would be for the Maple Leafs to offer Marner a basic contract of $3 million to $3.5 million, with a performance bonus of $1.5 million to $2 million. This would get Marchand an expected $5 million.
However, Marchand himself hasn’t shown any desire to leave South Florida. He has even mentioned, “These have been the best months of my career … There’s an incredible group here. I enjoyed every second and hope it keeps going.”
