NHL Rumors: Bruins Interested In Bringing Back Former Star

Everyone thought the bridge was burned when the Boston Bruins offered Brad Marchand an insulting contract extension after all of his years of great play in the organization and then traded him to the Florida Panthers where he won the Stanley Cup.

According to Pierre LeBrun, Marchand is still deciding on his future with the Panthers, but several teams including the Bruins hope to talk to him about returning when free agency opens. The insider said that the Bruins would certainly be open to bringing him back.

It is the same management as when Marchand left, so maybe things were overblown between Marchand and the Bruins. Boston definitely needs help up front as it is their most concerning part of their roster. This time, the Bruins have $23 million in projected cap space, so they won’t be throwing a very low number at their former star to get him back. The Bruins have to do something big if they don’t want to stay in mediocrity for a while with a player like David Pastrnak at the top of his game.

With Florida’s low state-tax, he will be able to take less and still earn more at the end of the day than a larger AAV in Boston. I would say he has a better chance of winning in Florida and got pretty close with the group in his short time there on their run to the Cup, but would have a larger role on a team like the Bruins.

Term is also something Marchand is likely juggling, so until he either re-signs with the Panthers or tests free agency, we’ll have to wait and see what he prefers more for the final years of his career.