Brad Marchand Talks Frustration in Boston That Led To Trade, Stanley Cup Final

One of the key moments for the Florida Panthers that has led to their third straight Stanley Cup Final appearance came in the final minutes before the trade deadline when the team cut a deal for then-Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand.

It was a stunner for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which was the intense rivalry between the Bruins and Panthers in recent years. But, ahead of Game 1 on Wednesday night, Marchand opened up about his frustrations in Boston, which included the team underperforming and being unable to reach a deal to keep him in town.

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"Situations I really hadn't been in before … I wouldn't say I dealt with them great," Marchand said, per Sportsnet. "The business side of it, I let it frustrate me."

"There were different hurdles that continued to get frustrating and stressful throughout the year, but that's part of the game," he said. "You've got to find ways to deal with it. I wish I had done a better job at times.

"Something I can learn from." 

Brad Marchand talked about how he dealt with his frustrations in Boston before being traded to the Florida Panthers. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

But hey, talk about an upgrade! Marchand is 37 years old, which means he has more years behind him in his career than ahead of him, and while the Bruins are in no man's land at the moment, he was dealt to a perennial contender with whom his style of play fits absolutely perfectly.

In fact, Marchand will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and while there are certainly going to be suitors, I have no idea why he would sign anywhere else, provided the Panthers are willing and able to give him a competitive offer.

It has been a great fit, and the expectation is that the Panthers will be Cup contenders for at least a couple more years.

 So why leave?

"He's the perfect Panther," Marchand's teammate Matt Tkachuk said. "He's built for our team … he was so hard to play against. We've played a bunch before, but I still don't think you get to see his skill set.

"Such a hard worker and an unbelievable teammate."

Marchand might be the ultimate "Hate him when he's playing against you, love him when he's on your team" guy in hockey right now, and if the Panthers are going to win a second straight Cup, he's going to be a key player.