Brad Marchand Leaves Door Open For Return to Bruins

Brad Marchand left the door open for a possible return to the Boston Bruins in the offseason.

Feb 5, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) controls the puck against New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren (55) during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Boston Bruins were not happy to trade away captain Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers for a number of reasons. From a competitive standpoint, the Bruins begrudgingly improved a rival team. From an organizational standpoint, the trade rid the team of their leader and left them looking for which direction to go next.

It appears that this separation between Marchand and the Bruins is only temporary. The newest Panthers forward spoke to the media ahead of the contest between the two teams, and he left the door open for a possible return to Boston after this season.

Talking to the media, he was asked directly about returning in free agency. Marchand was unsure in his response, but didn't rule it out.

"I don't know, I guess is how I would respond to that," he said. I don't know what the future brings. I know it didn't come together now. Can things change down the road? Potentially, but that's to be seen."

The little sliver is the door remaining open for a reunion. It's hard to say where things stand with everything so fresh. Marchand has yet to play a game for his new team, so he's clearly not in a position to speak on his future contract. However, his connection to the Bruins remains. If the team reaches out in free agency, he's open to conversations.

"I'm sure we'll have a conversation down the road," he said. "But, I don't know where that goes."

For now, Marchand is focusing on recuperating from an upper-body injury. Once he's ready to go, he will be thrust into a heated playoff race with the Panthers. He'll have his best shot at winning a Stanley Cup since the Bruins fell to the St. Louis Blues in the 2019 Finals. It will be a strange and uncomfortable sight for the Bruins faithful to see, but there's still the possibility that Marchand returns to his first organization after this season.

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