Fresh off a Stanley Cup victory with the Florida Panthers, Brad Marchand is already stirring the pot, and his latest target appears to be the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The notorious agitator has been celebrating his team's championship across South Florida. However, he took a break from the festivities to reply to a clip shared by The Leafs Nation. The post featured a clip from Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos, who, while a guest on Leafs Morning Take, stated his strong belief that Marchand will join the Toronto Maple Leafs when he becomes a free agent on July 1.
Marchand's response was perfectly in character:
"S--- dawg ... The people wanna see it???”
This continuous trolling is consistent with Marchand's reputation as a master instigator, a role he has played to perfection against Toronto. This isn't the first time Marchand has indirectly jabbed at the Leafs' management. He recently thanked other clubs for passing on his teammates, such as Carter Verhaeghe (drafted by the Leafs) and Evan Rodrigues (whose rights were acquired by Toronto, but the club chose not to extend him a qualifying offer). Marchand's team, with him playing a key role, improved to 5-0 all-time against Toronto in Game 7s as they ousted the Leafs in the second round of this year's postseason.
Perhaps Marchand is playing nice, knowing that Toronto could be a huge factor in helping the 37-year-old secure a massive payday. His last deal paid him an average of $6.125 million per season, and there are reports he could fetch a number in the $8 million range per season.
With 58 points in 59 career games against Toronto, the Leafs could stand to benefit from Marchand’s ability to excel in critical moments. That includes the "game within the game," which he so clearly dominates.
Of course, Marchand is playing both sides, telling people at the Elbo Room in Fort Lauderdale that he isn't leaving. At some point or another a decision will be made. But for now, Marchand will continue to celebrate.
