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It’s been 24 hours since the shocking news of Brad Marchand being traded from the Bruins to the Panthers happened.
Even more shocking was the fact that a simple, conditional 2nd round pick went the other way to Boston.
A trade to Florida is crazy for two main reasons…
Firstly…I (and many others) assumed Marchand was a Bruin for life. He came up through the organization, is a 16-year veteran, wears the “C”, is loved by the Boston fans, and plays a tough/agitating style of hockey with a good deal of skill.
Secondly…FLA and BOS have built up a great rivalry over the past few years, with each team boasting talented rosters that carry the postseason as they fight for Eastern Conference supremacy. Marchand is one of the guys at the center of this rivalry…for Boston to trade their beloved captain to a divisional rival for essentially nothing, is wild.
The majority of Bruins fan’s reactions show outrage, but there is a minor coalition of fans who think it was a good move. It seems these folks believe Boston is in need of a serious overhaul/rebuild.
Yes, Marchand is 36. But he’s still very effective and most likely has a couple years left in the tank. If BOS feels a shakeup and rebuild is needed, then #63 was probably on his way out. However, news has come out that Marchand — a UFA this summer — and the Bruins were far apart on contract talks, and so the Bruins decided to move him,
OK, so be it. I just can’t get over the serious lack of return.
Granted, he's most likely a rental, and a dang good one to have for the Cats heading into the notoriously brutal postseason of the NHL, but how did the B’s not get more for him??
As curious as it may be, it’s best not to think to hard or deeply about it. The reality is that the Panthers have acquired a major asset at the right time. Just think about this line:
Tkachuk - Bennett - Marchand
We’ll unfortunately have to wait a bit longer to see the above. Both 19 and 63 are out with injury, but it will be awesome to see this when healthy.
Let’s not forget about the other new faces in town, because we’ll be seeing some tonight.
And Vanecek between the pipes.
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Go Panthers!
Florida Panthers Blogger • 
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