“I feel rejuvenated coming here,” Brad Marchand was full of optimism after arriving in Miami following his trade from Boston in March. Cut to July, and the “Rat” won his second Stanley Cup with the Cats, forever etching his name within the Florida fandom. Now, as the ex-Bruins captain begins his Cup defense captain, he’ll have to shoulder extra responsibilities, especially with both team captain Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk out with injuries.

While Marchand’s trade to the Panthers was definitely a shocker, the seasoned winger instantly clicked with his new teammates. Chirping his way into the squad, the 37-year-old proved invaluable (20 points in 23 postseason games) to the team’s second straight Stanley Cup triumph. Naturally, with two key players out, you’d expect Marchand to step up and fill the void. And that’s exactly what Marchy seems to be doing.

Sportsnet‘s post on X from October 11 revealed how Brad Marchand is helping the team stay on course amidst their roster issues. Talking to Caroline Cameron post the Panthers’ emphatic 6-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators, the Florida star confessed that his seniority is helping him help his teammates. On being asked about his role in the locker room, Marchand said with a grin, “I’m the old guy, a little bit more of a voice, but I felt comfortable from day one in here, talking and communicating.”

But the pressure isn’t really daunting. “ It’s such a welcoming crew in there. What I love about our group is everyone leads in their own way. You don’t really need anyone to take charge. Everybody’s so dialed in here,” Marchand explained how his work is being made easy by the rest of the squad. Moreover, referring to the Cats’ 3-0-0 momentum this season, he further stated, “They just kind of go about their business and are prepared to play every night. When you have that within the group, it just allows you to prepare yourself and make sure you bring your best.”

But Marchand knew Barkov and Tkachuk’s absence would create more opportunities for others. When the captain injured his ACL and MCL and was announced to be missing the 2025-26 regular season, Brad made it clear that others should look at the whole thing as a great chance to show their worth. “Obviously, it’s unfortunate that we lost our best player and our best leader. Again, that just creates the opportunity for someone else to be big, someone else to fill into a hole that maybe they didn’t think they were needed for a while because Barky was there. But it gives an opportunity for others to step up and have a voice and lead in different ways,” Marchand’s determined mentality was put on display for everyone to appreciate.