NHL Insiders Disagree on Possible Brad Marchand Offseason Destination originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The race for Florida Panthers veteran and pending free agent Brad Marchand is heating up, and a couple of insiders have offered two different options for who might end up landing the winger.
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One of Marchand’s suitors is the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have been linked to the veteran winger since the team was eliminated from contention in the second round of the playoffs.
Marchand is coming off a postseason where he posted 10 goals and 20 points in 23 games, helping the Florida Panthers secure the Stanley Cup for the second season in a row.
He will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 after finishing his eight-year, $49 million contract, one he signed back in 2017 while still with the Boston Bruins.
According to Nick Kypreos, appearing Friday on the “Leafs Morning Take” podcast, the Leafs are not only in the mix for the veteran winger but may already be leading the pack.
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“There’s no team on the planet right now that can satisfy the lost income he had probably on the last 3–4 years of his Boston Bruins deal, than the Toronto Maple Leafs,” Kypreos said. He went as far as to suggest, “I don’t know how he doesn’t end up as a Maple Leaf.”
Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) speaks to head coach Paul Maurice after winning the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers.Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
But the Maple Leafs aren’t alone and might face competition from an unexpected chaser.
Elliotte Friedman reported on Friday’s episode of the “32 Thoughts” podcast that the Utah Mammoth, the NHL’s newest franchise, might be interested in Marchand too, and willing to spend.
“Maybe the magic number, like, that’s 24 million,” Friedman speculated on the offer the Mammoth might submit to Marchand. “Maybe he gets more than that in another structure.”
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According to Daily Faceoff, Marchand is projected to sign a two-year, $5.1 million contract. That valuation would fall way short of Friedman’s suggestion of a $24 million deal spread over three or four years with annual cap hits ranging from $6-to-8 million.
Related: Brad Marchand’s Seven-Word Comment on Maple Leafs Speculation
Related: Panthers’ Brad Marchand Addresses Future Immediately After Winning Stanley Cup
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.