The Mitch Marner trade to the Las Vegas Knights was just the beginning. The Maple Leafs had been putting the dominos in place for their impending rebuild. Since the disappointing 2025 Playoffs exit, the Pacific Division team had been strategizing how to go about it. And apparently, Brad Marchand was a part of it. How big a role was the Panthers star supposed to play? Well, with the latest gossip out from the rumor mill, it seems the Leafs have to go back to the drawing board. Because here’s the 411 on the Leafs front.
NHL Rumour Report dropped a hot one on July 2nd on X. And it will make the Maple Leafs fans very uneasy. “Chris Johnston: It might be late July and into August until [the Maple Leafs] finally complete the picture here; Marchand was their #1 target; make no mistake, this is not the Leafs roster as it will be comprised in training camp.—TSN.” No part of the tweet will make the Leafs Nation happy. Be it the setback in the timeline or that they had bet big on a guy who just gave them the L again.
Since Brad Marchand ended their campaign in May, the Maple Leafs were somehow convinced that the Canadian winger would solve their Playoff problems. The Leafs offloaded Marner on June 30th, but it had been in the pipeline for a month. Instead of a happy-go-lucky character like Mitch Marner, the Leafs were targeting a personality who was willing to do the dirty work. And add physicality to the team. And bring prior Stanley Cup win experience.
Chris Johnston: It might be late July and into August until [the Maple Leafs] finally complete the picture here; Marchand was their #1 target; make no mistake, this is not the Leafs roster as it will be comprised in training camp – TSN
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) July 2, 2025
Brad Marchand is all that, and then some. Having been the captain for the Boston Bruins for 2 years, the NHL veteran brings leadership that can reinforce any team. And when you add a Brad Marchand to a good team, you just upgrade to a Championship standard. And that’s exactly what happened to the Panthers. With his 10 goals, 10 assists, and +17 rating in 23 games, Marchand just changed the offensive complexion of the Panthers.
The Maple Leafs have lost a 100-point player in Mitch Marner. But had they added Brad Marchand to the roster, it would have been a statement scoop for the Leafs. And it would have been an economic offset, too. Offloading Marner meant almost an AAV of $11 million off the books. And a 37-year-old Brad Marchand could have been signed up for any number under a 10-million figure. The rumors were that the Leafs were ready to offer a 4-year, $9 million AAV contract.
The idea was right. Just not in the direction. As we now know. Brad Marchand and the Panthers are a match made in heaven.
The Brad Marchand to Toronto Maple Leafs saga is finally over
Before the critical update dropped on July 1st, rumors were rife of the Leafs definitely landing Brad Marchand. Most of those rumors were, albeit, led by one Nick Kypreos, a reporter who has a Toronto Maple Leafs bias. So, he was dropping updates like “Chances of Brad Marchand landing in Toronto ‘very good’” and “I don’t know how he doesn’t end up a Maple Leaf” on X. But the reality probably seemed a lot different.
And hey, if there is a little fun to be had at the expense of the Maple Leafs, how can Brad Marchand say no to it? So, even the Panthers forward responded to the Nick Kypreos gossip by teasing a Leafs trade on Instagram. He just dropped a very Rat King-like comment: “S— dawg …the people wanna see it???” It’s like adding fuel to the fire.
But to be honest, the Panthers forward had been dropping other hints that he wanted to stay in Florida. Be it saying that he feels he’s at home and shouting, “I’m not f—– leaving” during the Stanley Cup celebrations. It all came to a close when Brad Marchand officially signed a 6-year, $32 million deal to stay at the Panthers. A perfect last few months for the Florida Panthers and Brad Marchand, exactly the opposite for the Maple Leafs.
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