Maple Leafs Linked to Brad Marchand? Elliotte Friedman Fuels Offseason Speculation

It was Groundhog Day in May as Brad Marchand ended up eliminating the Maple Leafs in another Game 7.

He's undefeated against them in elimination games, and was yet again a key factor in shutting down Toronto's potent attack and being a nuisance on the ice.

He was complimentary towards them all series, in what seems like a complete turnaround from his Boston days.

Not only did he commend the team's efforts this season, but even took the time to chastise the Toronto media for being so harsh towards the team.

Admittedly growing up a fan of the Leafs, seeing Marchand in the blue and white is technically a possibility this coming summer, but there's no chance the team would want to sign them.

Elliotte Friedman however believes it's not only a possibility, but that he might have shown his hand a bit to where he wants to end up:

Where there's smoke, there's certainly fire. While this is just a smoldering ember at this point, the rest of the playoffs and Toronto's direction going forward could end up bringing a firestorm of speculation.

Marchand's words towards the Toronto media might give some pause that he would want to insert himself into the fray after criticizing them, but who else can navigate the torrent of questions and pressure from reporters than Marchand?

He's known as someone who can not only dodge a question, but also find eloquent ways to get his point across without exactly throwing people under the bus (unless you're talking about his contract).

If faced with constant scrutiny, Marchand has a thick enough skin to not only absorb any criticism, but spin it in a way that makes him look like the good guy in the end; he's a master manipulator on and off the ice.

Toronto needs someone like that. Marchand would thrive under Craig Berube, and already fits a lot of the criteria that the coach expects of his players.

Not to mention he can still contribute at a high level offensively, has clearly proven playoff credentials, and would give Toronto an X-Factor they haven't had since perhaps Darcy Tucker in the 2000s.

He has 312 points over his last five seasons, averaging 62.4 points per season and his 51 points this year would have put him sixth on the Maple Leafs behind only Matthew Knies and the Core Four.

The Maple Leafs are going to undergo a significant change this summer, whether it's getting rid of Brendan Shanahan, trading Morgan Rielly and Max Domi, letting Mitch Marner walk; any or all of those are a distinct possibility, so a change in direction towards players like Marchand might not be too crazy.

But for now, Toronto has to figure out where the heck to go from here, though don't be surprised if Brad Marchand becomes part of that new direction come 2025-26.