At the 2025 NHL trade deadline, the Boston Bruins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins] traded former captain Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers. This was after the Bruins were already out of the playoff race, and negotiations with their longtime star did not result in a contract extension being finalized. The Panthers undoubtedly benefited immensely from this trade, as Marchand played a major role in them repeating as Stanley Cup champions. The former Bruins star thrived during the playoffs, as he had 10 goals, 20 points, and a plus-17 rating in 23 games. He also scored six of his goals in the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers. While the Panthers celebrated with the Stanley Cup at the Elbo Room, their fans chanted "thank you, Boston" once Marchand showed up. No. 63 then joined in on the chant before lifting the Stanley Cup. It is understandable that the Panthers fans are thankful that the Bruins traded Marchand to Florida. He proved to be an excellent trade deadline acquisition for them and was one of their top playoff performers. Furthermore, the Panthers did not need to give up much at all to acquire Marchand, as they traded a 2027 conditional second-round pick to get him. This changed to a 2027 or 2028 first-round pick, however, as the Panthers won at least two rounds and Marchand appeared in at least 50% of their playoff games. However, that is still not nearly enough. While there is still time for this trade to age better for the Bruins, it is certainly not a win for them right now. The Bruins helped play a role in one of their top rivals winning the Stanley Cup again by trading Marchand there. With this, they certainly will be hoping to land a very good prospect with Florida's future first-round pick. Marchand, 37, can now hit the free-agent market on July 1 if the Panthers do not re-sign him by then. Given how well the longtime Bruins star played during the playoffs, he is in a position to land a nice raise this summer, whether he stays in Florida or signs elsewhere. In 1,090 career games with the Bruins over 16 seasons, Marchand recorded 422 goals, 554 assists, 976 points, and a plus-284 rating. He also had 138 points in 157 playoff games as a Bruin and memorably played a major role in them winning the Stanley Cup in 2011. New Mock Draft Has Bruins Taking Big Center In First Round [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/ddd8c5a7-bdd2-46b0-8f26-a2c91e629599.webp] New Mock Draft Has Bruins Taking Big Center In First Round The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins">Boston Bruins</a> have the seventh-overall pick at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. With this, they have a golden opportunity to land themselves a top prospect, which is certainly a big need for the Original Six club right now. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins/latest-news/new-mock-draft-has-bruins-taking-big-center-in-first-round] Photo Credit: © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
