Brad Marchand Hits the Toronto Maple Leafs with the Worst News Possible
Photo credit: Imagn Images
Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand is currently in the midst of contract extension negotiations, all while the Toronto Maple Leafs wait in the wings to pounce.
Brad Marchand had himself a huge playoff campaign, where he capped everything off with a Stanley Cup victory that saw him finish second in Conn Smythe voting.
Overall, the forward is now in line for a huge contract, and by all accounts, he is looking for four years at $8 million per season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been rumored to be interested, and analysts like Nick Kypreos seem to think that the Leafs are the only team willing to pay the price.
Brad Marchand's free agency decision
However, that does not seem to be the case anymore, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet has delivered some new information that will be of interest to Leafs fans.
Simply, Friedman thinks the Panthers and Marchand are close, and that it is actually possible for them to bring back Aaron Ekblad, Sam Bennett, and Marchand.
I think the Panthers are likely going to try to give him (Ekblad) term and spread it out over term and see if they can make it work. I don't see why they can't do the same kind of thing with Marchand if they want to.
If the Panthers can somehow make that work, then there is no question that they will be favorites to three-peat for the first time since the 80s New York Islanders.
As for the Toronto Maple Leafs, they need to keep digging here. The UFA market is slim, and they can't afford to miss on every big name.
July 1st is in a week from today, and there is no telling what is going to happen next. All we do know is that this is going to be a fascinating summer.
If you are a Leafs fan, you are probably feeling pretty nervous, and we can understand why that might be the case. You'll just have to sit tight and trust the process.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 24 | 529 ANSWERS Brad Marchand Hits the Toronto Maple Leafs with the Worst News Possible Would Brad Marchand be making a mistake by rejecting the Toronto Maple Leafs? | ||
| YES | 343 | 64.8 % |
| NO | 186 | 35.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
