Could Brad Marchand Return To Bruins? Don Sweeney Opens Up

Brad Marchand is a member of the Florida Panthers, but that might not be the case for very long.

The Boston Bruins on Friday moved Marchand to the reigning Stanley Cup champions right before the NHL trade deadline passed. In explaining the seismic swap, Don Sweeney acknowledged there was “a gap” in extension talks between the Bruins and the impending free agent. Thus, Boston felt inclined to give Marchand an opportunity to finish the season with a legitimate Cup contender.

But what about when the 2024-25 season is over? Could Marchand and the Bruins return to the negotiating table and facilitate a reunion? Sweeney addressed that hypothetical when he spoke with the media early Friday evening.

“I mean, that’s probably a better question for Brad at this point in time, the emotions that he’s going through,” Sweeney told reporters, per a team-provided transcript. “I love Brad. I’ve said all along. We’ve been trying to sign Brad all year long. We just had a gap there, and I respect that. You know where he believes his market value is, and I hope he respects our position, because he’s beloved here. I would never close the door.”

It will be interesting to see what Marchand’s market looks like this summer. He will turn 37 in a few months, and it remains to be seen how the 2011 Stanley Cup champion’s current upper-body injury impacts the remainder of his campaign.

But if Marchand is open to the idea of returning to Boston, and it sounds like Sweeney and company will be happy to take the call.