The Florida Panthers have retained their Stanley Cup-winning core ahead of 2025 NHL free agency.
Brad Marchand, who was set to be an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday, reportedly signed a six-year, $32 million extension Monday to remain in Sunrise. Sportsnet’s Elliott Friedman was the first to break the story.
The 37-year-old veteran was traded from his long-time club, the Boston Bruins, at the deadline this season and made the most of his new opportunity by recording 20 points (10g, 10a) in 23 playoff games to help lead the Panthers to back-to-back championships. Marchand had previously won the Cup with the Bruins in 2011.
Florida was facing the potential loss of its three highest-rated UFAs this summer, Marchand, Sam Bennett, and Aaron Ekblad, but managed to retain all of them.
Bennett, the 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy winner, signed an eight-year, $64 million extension on Friday. He put up an impressive 15 goals, leading all skaters this postseason. Ekblad will also be returning after he signed an eight-year deal worth $6.1 million annually on Monday, just hours before the Marchand news dropped.
Marchand’s eventual cap hit is not immediately clear, but according to PuckPedia, Florida was projected to have $4.9 million in space after the Ekblad deal. Marchand’s AAV will be roughly $5.3 million.
