They say a good captain never flees and sinks with the ship. Brad Marchand had no choice, though, as he was traded away from the Boston Bruins to the Florida Panthers. The 37-year-old had one trick up his sleeve, however, eliminating the Toronto Maple Leafs—once again— and delivering great news to David Pastrnak and his former teammates back in Boston.
The 2024-25 NHL season was utterly disappointing for the Spoked B, as they missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time after eight consecutive postseason appearances, with their Cup drought extending to fourteen years.
The Panthers, on the other hand, extended their red-hot run in recent years—reaching the Eastern Conference Final for the third straight season, with the hope of a back-to-back championship still alive and well.
Obviously, the biggest loser out of the seven-game series development in the second round is the organization in Toronto, and while the Panthers are evidently the biggest winners, the Bruins have also been benefitted from their recent triumph.
David Pastrnak #88 of the Boston Bruins looks on during the third period against the New York Islanders at TD Garden on November 09, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Bruins defeat the Islanders 5-2.
Pastrnak‘s Boston Bruins are on the brink of acquiring a first round pick from the Panthers, as part of their deal involving the former captain in Beantown. The most important obstacle has been hurdled, but there is still an asterisk or two for the selection to oficially be in the Bruins’ hands.
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The Bruins traded their captain and leader, Marchand, to the contending Cats for a conditional 2027 second-round pick, which could become a first-round selection in 2027 or 2028.
In order for the selection to become a top-32 overall pick, Marchand and the Panthers had to advance past the second round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the former B’s captain had to play in, at least, half of the games.
Brad Marchand #63 of the Florida Panthers walks to the ice before playing the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game Six of the Second Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena on May 16, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida
Terms and conditions
So far so good, the biggest difficulty has been handled: Marchand improved to 5-0 in series against the Maple Leafs—a sight for Bruins to smile at amid a deflating offseason—and the Panthers are in the Conference Final, which isn’t too good for fans in Boston.
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Florida Panthers: A deep dive into their Stanley Cup pursuit
As for playing in at least 50% of the playoff games, Marchand will most probably complete that requirement in Game 1 of the ECF, as he’s played in all 12 games so far and the Panthers can play up to 26 games during this postseason.
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With that settled, one final asterisk remains: the first-round pick is top-10 protected in 2027, meaning the Panthers will keep it and instead send a 2028 first-rounder to the Bruins if they suffer a shocking collapse during the 2026-27 NHL season — an unlikely scenario given Florida’s core is locked in with long-term deals.
