The Florida Panthers appear to be finding their Stanley Cup-winning form after a rough start to the season. They’ve won three straight games and have climbed to fourth in the Atlantic Division after sitting at the bottom earlier.
With the Panthers trending upward, an analyst has flagged a concerning stat tied to one of their biggest names.
Troubling Stat Emerges for Panthers’ $31.5M Stanley Cup Star
Brad Marchand, now in the first year of his six-year, $31.5 million contract, has drawn attention for a striking split in his performance. NHL analyst Rono shared a graphic on X highlighting Marchand’s metrics this season.
According to the data, Marchand remains an elite offensive force. His impact, scoring, and finishing all grade near the top, with strong numbers in assists and penalties drawn as well. Overall, he received a perfect offensive score, reinforcing his value with the puck.
Defensively, however, the picture is far less flattering. His defensive impact rates near zero, pointing to limited effectiveness away from the puck and a reduced two-way role compared to earlier seasons. A season-by-season chart shows his offense holding strong while his defensive impact steadily declines.
Rono noted, “I’ve been doing this for five years already, and I’ve never seen a player be so consistently strong offensively and weak defensively for such a long stretch as Marchand has been this season. He’s been in the 100th percentile offensively and the 0th percentile defensively since late October, man.”
The numbers stand out even more given Marchand’s production. He leads Florida with 19 goals and 18 assists for 37 points in 32 games so far.
Not everyone agrees with the assessment. Another analyst Jimmy Dixmont pushed back, pointing out that Marchand has consistently received Selke Trophy votes as one of the league’s top defensive forwards and suggesting the model may need adjusting. “Age is catching up to him or you’re simulation needs some tweaking. I’m going with the latter…,” he added.
Rono responded by clarifying that his data focuses strictly on five-on-five play. He explained that Marchand’s underlying defensive results at even strength have been poor, noting that Florida has allowed goals at a high rate with him on the ice. He also emphasized that penalty killing and late-game defending with an empty net are not included in his metrics.
Despite the defensive concerns, Brad Marchand continues to lead the Florida Panthers offensively as they prepare to face the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday.