It was a bold move that ended up paying dividends for the Boston Bruins when Don Sweeney decided to trade Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers at the deadline. It was first met with criticism for the lousiness of the return (a second-round pick), but Sweeney took a chance that the Panthers were going to have another good run and inserted the condition that ultimately improved it to a first-overall selection in 2027.
Sweeney took the chance that the Panthers would be going through some salary cap concerns by then and possibly move up in the draft, but after an influx of signings this offseason, which includes Marchand, Florida doesn't seem to be going anywhere in the standings. The downside is that the Bruins will now have to play Marchand as a division rival for the next six years, if his career makes it that far.
So, what would have happened if the Bruins hadn't traded their captain to a division rival? It's easy to say it now in hindsight, but the trade not happening could've completely changed the trajectory of the past couple of months.
Do the Panthers still win their second Stanley Cup?
I think the answer is no, considering Marchand was one of the last deals of the day. The Panthers might've had some other deals in the works in case the Bruins trade didn't pan out, but there wouldn't have been much time to finalize the deal. It's more likely that the Panthers were content with their roster, and the Marchand addition was just a plan that managed to work out.
Marchand was a beast in the series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and also had an important game winner against the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final. His line with Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell completely dominated their matchup in each of the series, which isn't surprising since they are a fringe first-line playing against other teams' bottom sixes.
While Florida was unsure if Marchand would even be a factor since they acquired him mid-injury, he turned into one of their top X-Factors, and even came runner-up behind Sam Bennett for the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Would the Bruins look differently today?
It's quite possible that Marchand would've walked in free agency anyway if they couldn't make a deal and the Bruins would look quite similar to their current lineup. However, depending when Marchand would've returned last season, he might've played well enough to knock them out of the running for James Hagens.
If Marchand had re-signed in Boston, things would've been a bit more interesting. The top-six would've looked better, and maybe Sweeney would've put a bit more of an emphasis on acquiring talent to play in the top six to give Marchand another chance at winning a cup in his longtime home.
Sweeney might have one eye on continuing the rebuild into next season and having one more good draft, but that wouldn't be the case if their captain was still in Boston.
