Bruins Daily

Bruins Brief: Marchand Makes Leafs Miserable; Preparing For All Possibilities

Published

4 weeks ago

May 20, 2025

The Canadian Press via AP/Frank Gunn

Good morning, my name is Andrew Fantucchio. It’s Tuesday, May 20, and here are the top stories, news items, and highlights surrounding the Boston Bruins and from across the NHL today.

Bruins News:

Marchand Helps The Bruins One Last Time: The decision by the Bruins to trade Brad Marchand was highly scrutinized. Two months later, the deal is proving to be beneficial for all parties involved after Marchand helped the Bruins one last time.

Bruins Address Area of Concern Early: Goaltending isn’t exactly a need for the Bruins, but they’re not waiting for it to become one, either. A depth signing now may very well save the Bruins from a potentially tough situation later this summer.

NHL News, Rumors & Highlights:

Florida On Its Way Back To East Final: As I said, the trade that sent Marchand to Florida has benefited everyone involved. While the Bruins are about to gain another first-round draft pick, the Panthers are on their way to their third-straight Eastern Conference Final, with their deadline deals being a major reason why.

The Last Run For the Leafs’ Core: This was far from the first time the Maple Leafs lost in a winner-take-all playoff game, and it needs to be the last. The Core Four — Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander– as talented a group ever assembled, never came through when it mattered most. They had so many chances. There’s no way to justify giving them another.

Panthers Plead Maple Leafs Be Shown Mercy: If this really is the end for this iteration of the Maple Leafs, it was the Panthers who pushed them to it. But as Marner, Tavares, and the rest of the bunch get ready to head to the proverbial hague, the Panthers are asking for them to be shown mercy.

Islanders Get Last Laugh: All the hype surrounding the Leafs first began way back in 2018 when John Tavares first came to town. People in Toronto were already planning a championship parade after their prodigal son had signed with the team he cheered for as a child. Seven years later, the Maple Leafs are still waiting for that parade. Meanwhile, it’s the New York Islanders who are taking a victory lap.

Hurricanes Happy To Be Boring: With so much of the attention being put on the Panthers and Maple Leafs, the Carolina Hurricanes are taking a back seat as they prepare for the Eastern Conference Final. Sure, Carolina isn’t a traditional hockey market, and the Hurricanes aren’t exactly an exciting team, but that’s just how they like it.

More From National Hockey Now:

Philadelphia: Mitch Marner will be on the radar of plenty of teams in free agency, including the Philadelphia Flyers. The question is, are they on his?

Pittsburgh: After missing the playoffs for a third straight season, it’s clear the Pittsburgh Penguins are closer to the start of their rebuild than the end. If they’re going to accelerate the process, GM Kyle Dubas will have to improve his trade targets.

New Jersey: All signs point to the New Jersey Devils being one of the league’s most aggressive teams this offseason, and upcoming changes to some of their players’ no-trade clauses are making that even more likely.

San Jose: Many expect Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa to be the first two selections in the NHL Draft, but one expert believes the San Jose Sharks should make a surprise pick at second overall.

Vegas: No season is easy, and neither are any of the decisions that come at the end of them. For the Vegas Golden Knights, that involves which of their free agents to re-sign and which to let go.