Brad Marchand will be one of the most sought-after free agents this summer and while it may take a minute to stomach for some fans, it’s entirely possible the 37-year-old will join the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos joined Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill on Friday’s edition of Leafs Morning Take, where he opined that the Maple Leafs are the heavy front-runners to land Marchand.
“He’s the first one to say ‘I was underpaid in Boston, and I’m going to go out there and make it up right now!’ There’s no team on the planet right now that can satisfy the lost income he had probably on the last 3-4 years of his Boston Bruins deal, than the Toronto Maple Leafs. I don’t know how he doesn’t end up as a Maple Leaf, let me put it to you that way,” Kypreos said of Marchand.
"I don't know how he doesn't end up a Maple Leaf, let me put it to you that way."
– @RealKyper on Brad Marchand 👀@thegoldenmuzzy | @Jay_D_Rosehill
Presented by @CharmDiamonds pic.twitter.com/7V0OajulKu
— TheLeafsNation (@TLNdc) June 20, 2025
Marchand habitually tormented the Maple Leafs as a member of the Boston Bruins, winning four series throughout his tenure with the club. During the 2024 postseason, Marchand recorded three goals and eight points in seven games, as the Bruins eliminated the Maple Leafs in overtime. And it didn’t stop after Marchand was traded to the Florida Panthers either!
During the Leafs’ second-round series against the Panthers, Marchand was once again in clinical form, recording three goals — including the overtime winner in Game 3 that changed the tenor of the series — and eight points in seven games again, forming an elite shutdown line with Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen. Marchand continued to be a force throughout the playoffs and finished with 10 goals and 20 points in 23 postseason games as the Panthers repeated as champions.
It’s widely expected that Marchand will command a new contract over $6 million per season, although the veteran forward may be searching for a shorter term with a greater annual average value. Toronto is looking to change its DNA this summer and there’s no player in the league the NHL that better constitutes an identity change for the Maple Leafs than Marchand, who always rises to the occasion when the games become more important.
Brad Marchand, future pillar of the Toronto Maple Leafs. It may take some time to get used to, but it could become a reality in a matter of days.