Paul Bissonnette Hears of ‘Agreed-Upon’ Brad Marchand-Maple Leafs Deal originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ offseason overhaul may have its first major twist in the addition of a former bitter rival to the roster ahead of next season.
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Former Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand, fresh off winning his second Stanley Cup — wearing the Florida Panthers sweater — is set to enter free agency on July 1 and has been heavily linked to Toronto heading into the open market.
With star forwards John Tavares and Mitch Marner both set to become free agents as well, Toronto could be looking to sign someone to make up for those potential exits.
On Wednesday’s episode of the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast, co-host Paul Bissonnette shared a message he received from what he called “someone very reliable.”
“I got a message from someone very reliable,” Bissonnette said. “I heard rumblings that it is already agreed upon, four (years) times $9 (million) for Brad Marchand.
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“That would be unreal, that would be a culture setter. That would make losing Tavares, if you do, not as painful, we knew Marner was gone.”
Whether Bissonnette was actually trying to wish a deal into existence is unclear. After all, he was wearing a Leafs cap and sweater while he revealed the information.
Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos recently commented on Marchand’s situation, saying the Leafs are his best option while appearing on “Leafs Morning Take” a few days ago.
“There’s no team on the planet right now that can satisfy the lost income (Marchand) had probably on the last three/four years of his Boston Bruins deal, than the Toronto Maple Leafs,” Kypreos said.
Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand skates before a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Marchand dropped a comment on an Instagram post related to Kypreos’ comment, leaving the door open for a potential move to Toronto this offseason.
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“(Expletive) dawg… the people wanna see it?” Marchand posted.
The 37-year-old forward remains a premier playoff performer and is coming off a postseason run in which he scored 20 points in 23 games. In his career, Marchand has scored 158 points in 180 career playoff contests.
Marchand just completed an eight-year, $49 million deal, and Daily FaceOff projects him to sign a two-year, $10.2 million contract this offseason, way short of Bissonnette’s reported four-year, $36 million deal.
Related: Brad Marchand’s Seven-Word Comment on Maple Leafs Speculation
Related: Family Factor Could Shape Mitch Marner’s Future, Claims NHL Insider
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.