"I mean, ultimately, I never even thought it was even possible to re-sign in Florida. I really didn't. Just with the guys that we had up and stuff like that. "Toronto, I was serious about what I said, with where they're at. As a group, the way that they're competing now - they compete the right way, which is what they kind of had to get over that hurdle."
"League sources familiar with the situation say that Toronto even passed on the possibility of acquiring another player in a June trade in order to protect the cap space that would have been needed to bring in Marchand," Johnston wrote. "They were ready to be aggressive if the 37-year-old winger hit the open market coming off a playoffs in which he finished second in Conn Smythe Trophy voting and was part of a team that knocked the Leafs out of the playoffs for the fifth time in his career."
Brad Marchand considered both the Florida Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs as landing spots during the offseason. Marchand expressed surprise at the possibility of re-signing in Florida given the roster situation, while also noting genuine interest in Toronto because of their current competitive approach. League sources indicated Toronto preserved cap space and passed on other moves to remain positioned to pursue Marchand. Marchand signed a six-year contract with Florida and finished a recent playoff run second in Conn Smythe Trophy voting while playing a role in eliminating Toronto in the postseason.
Read at Boston.com
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