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Elliotte Friedman Wonders if Maple Leafs Would 'Take a Run' at Longtime Nemesis

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated May 24, 2025 6:17 AM ET

Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand may have eliminated the Toronto Maple Leafs five times in Game 7s, but an interesting suggestion has him wearing blue and white next season, as long as both parties want to explore that scenario.

On Monday's episode of the "32 Thoughts" podcast, Elliotte Friedman said the Maple Leafs could look to sign Marchand this offseason. The veteran forward is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

"Watching Brad Marchand doing his fencing with the media at the end of the game, I wonder if they're gonna take a run at him there this summer," Friedman said.

Marchand, now 37, was part of the Panthers team that defeated Toronto 6-1 in Game 7 of the second round, handing the Leafs their third straight playoff elimination on home ice.

32 Thoughts Monday morning playoff reaction, news, information and analysis podcast.

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— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 19, 2025

Despite playing against them, Marchand expressed empathy for Toronto in his postgame comments.

"I grew up a Leafs fan. I enjoy playing against the Leafs," Marchand said. "They’ve been working on building something really big here for a while.

"And they’re getting crucified, and I don’t think it’s justified."

Marchand is a native of Nova Scotia, but as much as he seems to like Toronto, the truth is that he's been the Leafs' no. 1 nemesis throughout his career.

His track record as a playoff performer spans his time with both the Boston Bruins and Panthers, and not only has he beaten Toronto in an all-time five Game 7s, but he's also scored in those five consecutive Game 7 wins against Toronto.

Marchand, although approaching 40 years old and in the final stages of his career, is considered one of the best upcoming free agents—the sixth best—as ranked by Sportsnet's Luke Fox on May 21.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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