Aleksander Barkov looked across the Florida Panthers' locker room on Saturday morning and noticed a new addition.
A nameplate over a locker — bearing the name Brad Marchand.
“Kind of weird, for now,” Barkov said.
A guy who always played like he hated Florida will soon be in uniform for Florida, after a stunning trade at the NHL's deadline Friday brought Marchand — who was captain of the Boston Bruins — to the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers. Marchand played 64 games against the Panthers including postseasons, fifth-most of all active players.
“He’s a winner,” Barkov said. “He won the Stanley Cup with Boston and every year he’s been part of really good teams. He has that experience of playing meaningful games. Everyone knows what kind of player and human he is, so excited to have him on our side — for once.”
At 36, Marchand is still highly effective. He had 21 goals and 26 assists in 61 games with the Bruins this season, and Panthers coach Paul Maurice said Marchand's acquisition — it only cost the Panthers a conditional draft pick — further addresses very specific needs that the team had going into the playoffs.
It needed a top-four defenseman and landed one last week by acquiring Seth Jones from Chicago. And it needed a penalty-killer; that's where Marchand comes in.
“I know that’s an unusual thing to say about Brad Marchand, but he was part of possibly the best tandem for years with Patrice Bergeron,” Maurice said. “He’s an elite penalty killer. Clearly, he’s a power-play guy, he’s an offensive guy, he’s physical, he’s got all the energy.”
Panthers forward A.J. Greer played with Marchand in Boston and said he can't wait to see his former-turned-current teammate again and greet him with a hug.
“Brad’s an amazing person,” Greer said. “Great player. He brings out the best in everyone, every day. He’s a competitor and whether it’s in practice or in games he always kind of seems to elevate everyone around him. We’re really excited to have him. I think he’s going to complement this group really well.”
And the moves to bring in Jones and now Marchand are yet another reminder that the Panthers are loading up in an effort for a second consecutive Stanley Cup.
“It’s awesome,” Barkov said. “Bringing in a guy like him is not an everyday thing. ... We’re all-in again. We want to win. We want to compete for another Cup. We added some amazing players here and amazing guys. So, we’re excited.”
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
