BREAKING: Panthers GM Makes Surprising Admission After Latest Trade

The Florida Panthers made a significant trade deadline move by acquiring longtime Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand. However, Panthers general manager Bill Zito admitted he hadn’t spoken to Marchand before finalizing the deal. “I haven’t even spoken to him yet, but his record speaks for itself,” Zito said. “We’re thrilled to have him on board and focused on being the best team we can be.”

Marchand joins a Panthers team leading the Atlantic Division with a 39-21-3 record and 81 points, fresh off winning the Stanley Cup last season. The 36-year-old winger, a four-time All-Star with 422 career goals and 976 total points, brings additional grit and championship experience to a lineup featuring Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, and Matthew Tkachuk. However, Tkachuk was placed on long-term injured reserve before the deadline, which gave Florida the cap flexibility needed to acquire Marchand.

In exchange, the Panthers sent Boston a second-round pick, which could become a first-rounder if Florida wins two playoff rounds and Marchand plays in at least half of those games. Although Marchand is currently sidelined with an upper-body injury sustained on March 1 against Pittsburgh, Zito expressed confidence in the move. “Our front office meetings can be intense, but we’re always evaluating and ranking players,” Zito said. “You can ask any GM in the league about a player, and they’ll have a full report.”

Marchand is expected to miss a few weeks, but Florida believes he’ll be ready for the playoffs when it matters most. Zito is optimistic about his integration into the team, saying, “I suspect it’s going to be a rather seamless transition.”