Brad Marchand, like so many, wanted to be back with the Florida Panthers after helping them win a Stanley Cup last season.
But Marchand, also like so many, didn’t think he would be back. He was one of three major pending free agents the Panthers had following their second consecutive Cup win, along with defenseman Aaron Ekblad, a lifelong Panther, and Sam Bennett, who won the Conn Smythe as the Stanley Cup playoffs MVP and has been viewed as the identity of the Panthers.
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There was only so much money to go around.
“I just didn’t think that it could work with everybody,” Marchand said.
But Marchand learned what so many in South Florida have learned during the past few years: Never doubt Bill Zito’s ability to make things work.
The Panthers president of hockey operations found a way to keep all three in South Florida for years to come. First he signed Bennett to an eight-year, $64 million deal. Next was Ekblad getting eight years and $48.8 million. And finally, Marchand got $31.1 million over six years.
“The fact that they were able to make it work and Bill called and told me that he wanted to make it work, I was ecstatic,” Marchand said Wednesday, on the eve of the Panthers’ training camp. “I wanted to be part of this group, and I loved every second of being here after I got traded.”
Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe (23) celebrates with teammates Brad Marchand (63), Evan Rodrigues (17), and defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) after scoring a goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the first period of Game 3 in the Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday, June 9, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla.
Now, there are still some salary cap gymnastics Zito and the front office have to knock out. Florida enters training camp $4.5 million over the salary cap and needs to be cap compliant by the time it begins the season on Oct. 7. That will be done by putting forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Tomas Nosek, both of whom are going to be sidelined for multiple months to begin the season, on long-term injured reserve. That gives Florida the needed temporary salary cap relief until they return.
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But for now, the Panthers are giddy over the fact that they have returned basically the entire roster they fielded for their Cup-clinching game last season — Marchand included. Only two players from that group departed in third-pair defenseman Nate Schmidt and backup goaltender Vitek Vanecek, both of whom signed with the Utah Mammoth. Even more so, 10 players of the core are signed through at least the next five seasons at deals that are arguably well below market value.
“You look at this group,” Marchand said. “We’re going to be together for a long time, and it feels incredible as a player to know that you’re becoming part of a group that’s going to be competing every year to play for the Stanley Cup. To win, you need so many different things to go right and you need all the right calls, the balances, guys staying healthy, guys producing the right times. So it’s not a guarantee. We’re going to win every year, but we will be in contending talks every season, which is pretty remarkable.”
While Zito is the mastermind at work behind the scenes getting these deals done, he deflects credit whenever it’s given to him.
“It’s not me,” Zito said. “They decided. They all could have gotten money somewhere else, but they decided they wanted to be Florida Panthers. That makes me feel good.”
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But there is another factor at play that benefits the Panthers on that front, one that has been a point of contention across the league.
The Panthers are one of six teams that play in a state without income taxes, along with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken.
Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) celebrates with teammates after scoring during the first period against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday, June 9, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla.
Marchand admitted that while, yes, the Panthers have a slew of perks that helped him want to stay — the team’s trajectory to be annual contenders, their world-class practice facility and the lifestyle of South Florida among them (plus there are plenty of Dairy Queens around) — no state taxes played a role in not just him being able to stay but Bennett and Ekblad as well.
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“If we we’re not in a no-tax state it wouldn’t work out, probably for two guys. Two guys probably would be leaving in that situation,” Marchand said. “That’s a benefit that this team has that we able to utilize and make work. I’m thrilled to be here for the next six years.”
The Panthers are, too, after what he gave the team over his four months with the club last season following his acquisition from the Boston Bruins. He scored 10 goals in the Stanley Cup playoffs, including six in the Stanley Cup Final. He brought another vocal veteran presence with a track record of winning into the dressing room. And he instantly bought into Florida’s style of play.
Marchand’s six-year deal runs until he is 43 years old. There was speculation during the offseason that Marchand would be willing to take a shorter deal with a higher average annual value. He dismissed that notion Wednesday.
“It’s a gift to play in this league,” Marchand said. “It’s a privilege; it’s not a given. And when it’s done, it’s done, you never get to do it again. … I want to play till I get kicked out of the league.”
Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) reacts as teammate Aleksander Barkov (16) hit him with plastic rats after their 6-1 victory over the Oilers in Game 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday, June 9, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla.