Insider Pierre LeBrun Links Brad Marchand to Shocking Canadian Destination

The door isn't closed on staying with the Florida Panthers, but with pending unrestricted free agent and Conn Smythe contender Sam Bennett a top priority for the Panthers and Aaron Ekblad also a pending UFA, it's probably most likely Marchand is going to market where total dollars will be the top priority moreso than the actual average annual value..

And yes, as others have wondered, I do believe the Toronto Maple Leafs will be among the possibilities for Marchand. I mean, he mentioned during the second-round series with Toronto that he grew up a Leafs fan.

Marchand helped put the dagger in the Maple Leafs with a 3 point performance (1G, 2A) in Game 7 last month, helping the Panthers advance to the ECF where they eventually beat the Carolina Hurricanes in 5 games to return to the SCF for the 3rd straight year.

Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving spoke about the need to change his team's DNA after their latest playoff disappointment, and a potential signing of Marchand would go a long way in helping to make that happen.

Whether or not Marchand would actually be interested in signing with the Maple Leafs, who he has now defeated 5 times in the postseason during his NHL career, is a question that will be answered before long this summer.