The Florida Panthers, gearing up for another run at the Stanley Cup, made a late splash at the NHL Trade Deadline on Friday, acquiring veteran forward Brad Marchand from the Boston Bruins.
Skating out the final months of a major eight-year deal with Boston that carried a $6.125 million salary cap hit, Marchand's run with the Bruins appeared to be reaching its end this season as the franchise fell out of playoff contention this season.
A Stanley Cup champion with Boston in 2011, and a perennial top liner that bridged the Bruins' transition from several different coaching staffs, Marchand, 37, can play the tough minutes for the Panthers as they battle for first place in the Atlantic Division with the Toronto Maple Leafs.