NHL Rumors: Brandon Carlo Tried To Recruit Brad Marchand To Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs made a serious push to add another top-six winger this summer, and defenseman Brandon Carlo revealed he personally tried to convince former Boston Bruins teammate Brad Marchand to join him in Toronto.
According to Carlo, Marchand showed genuine interest before ultimately deciding to return to the Florida Panthers.
Brad Marchand credits Florida's lack of state tax as the reason he, Bennett, and Ekblad could all stay put 💰🐆
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) September 17, 2025
(h/t @ABaumgartner91) pic.twitter.com/Z76AnJmpP2
Carlo tried & failed to bring Marchand to Toronto
Carlo admitted the conversations between the two gave him hope Marchand could have been wearing the blue and white this season.
“I had talked to him, and there had been conversations there, and I felt like he definitely had that interest to come here. Ultimately, it didn’t end up that way. But that would have been fantastic,” Carlo told Sportsnet. “Now we’re just gonna have to compete against him and hopefully beat him here soon.”
Lundy on what Marchand brought to the third line and the team as a whole: pic.twitter.com/tYVbaGNeWf
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) September 23, 2025
General manager Brad Treliving also confirmed the Leafs pursued a top-six winger in free agency but faced a limited market. Marchand, who grew up cheering for Toronto, was rumored to be their top target.
Instead, the Panthers managed to retain their Cup-winning core, convincing Marchand to sign a six-year deal that will likely keep him in Florida for the rest of his career.
Had the Leafs landed Marchand, it would have altered their offseason moves, likely preventing them from adding Nicolas Roy, Matias Maccelli, and Dakota Joshua. Still, Toronto’s new-look depth has created optimism, and the focus now shifts to Craig Berube’s challenge of shaping the lineup without Mitch Marner.
Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
