Brad Marchand on Returning to Boston: 'I don't know what the future brings...potentially'

It's become quite obvious that Brad Marchand was taken back by the Boston Bruins giving up on him and moving him to the Florida Panthers at the NHL's trade deadline. Regardless, it doesn't sound like Marchand has completely closed the door on returning to Boston this offseason.

“I don’t know, I guess, is how I would respond to that. I don’t know what the future brings in terms of how it plays in the summertime,” Marchand told reporters, per Conor Ryan of Boston.com. “I know it didn’t come together now. Can things change down the road? Potentially. But that’s to be seen. I’m sure we’ll have a conversation down the road, but I don’t know where that goes. It doesn’t change my love for the city, and the will to want to be here has never changed and it will never change.”

Marchand, a pending UFA this summer couldn't come to terms with the Bruins on a three-year extension, and was a little caught off guard when the Bruins weren't willing to meet in the middle. The 36-year-old joins the rival Panthers and sets himself up for a long Stanley Cup Playoff run this spring in Florida.

"When the trade happened, I was disappointed and I was sad," Marchand said. "But I'm still extremely grateful that I get to come to an incredible place, an incredible team, a very, very, very competitive team. That's what you want. Ultimately, we chase the Stanley Cup, and you want a chance at playing for that every single year."

"I feel rejuvenated coming here," Marchand said. "They're a completely different mindset from where we were as a team and the things we were going through. When things were coming up, and kind of the writing was on the wall, this is absolutely the place I wanted to go."

"I don't have any ill will towards the management group. ... I've had an incredible run in that organization, and I'm extremely proud how things went there," he said. "It was very disappointing that things didn't get done, just because obviously I love the organization and I wanted to stay there. But at the end of the day, I also know that business is business and every player has a shelf life. If we were in the playoffs at that point in time, we'd probably be having a much different conversation."

The Panthers don't know when Marchand will make his debut, as he's dealing with a shoulder injury, but they are hopeful it will be before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Photo crdit:  John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images