The Boston Bruins traded long-time forward Brad Marchand on Friday, and now we know why the two sides couldn’t come to terms on an agreement, as General Manager Don Sweeney reportedly offered what many believe would be a low-ball.
On Friday just moments before the trade deadline, the Boston Bruins shocked the NHL world by trading Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers, with the team taking major criticism for the underwhelming return they received.
Although it was always a distinct possibility that the team could trade a player that has played 1,090 games for the team, no one actually believed it would ever happen until it did. So why did it happen?
Reportedly, the Bruins offered Marchand just $3 million AAV on a two year deal, and even at 36-years of age, the Boston Bruins captain, and most people around the NHL believed that was a low-ball offer.
Now, Elliotte Friedman has opened up on why the two teams couldn’t make a deal happen, revealing that there was a good chance it was over a million a year that separated the two teams in negotiations.
In 2024/25, Marcahnd tallied 21 goals and 47 points in 64 games played, so while he’s no longer the elite level player he once was, it’s safe to say that he’s worth much more than GM Don Sweeney seemingly believed he was, despite being the heart and soul and the captain of this team for quite some time.
Now, Marchand will play out the final half year of his deal with the Florida Panthers, and with the veteran likely to hit free agency in the summer, we will now wait and see if he gets what he believes he was worth or not.