The smoke had been there for some time, but Bruins fans hoped there wasn’t any fire. There’s nobody from their 2011 Stanley Cup-winning team in the Boston Bruins camp anymore. After weeks of speculation, Brad Marchand, the man who is the heart and soul of the team, was traded to Atlantic Division rivals Florida Panthers in a deadline day trade that left fans in disbelief. The Bruins didn’t stop there—Justin Brazeau, Marc McLaughlin, Brandon Carlo, and Trent Frederic were all shown the exit, meaning that the team fully embraced a fire sale after years of experiencing the bitter taste of defeat in the playoffs.

The return? A 2027 second-round pick that will become a 2027 or 2028 first-round one if the Panthers win two rounds in the playoffs and Marchand appears in half of their playoff games. But for Bruins faithful? They can’t see a draft pick replace the legacy they just lost. The reality has dawned upon the Bruis locker room as well. It just doesn’t feel the same, and emotions are running high. One of Marchand’s former teammates couldn’t hold back, admitting just how gut-wrenching this move feels.

Bruins teammate heartbroken with Brad Marchand trade!

The emotions were running high in the Bruins’ locker room, and Jeremy Swayman didn’t hold back when asked about the trade shake-up. In a video shared by ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, he got real about losing his captain and longtime teammates. “We’re going to miss those guys so much,” he admitted. “They laid the groundwork here, Emily, and it’s never going to be the same without them.” But while the team felt the sting, Swayman knew they had no choice but to push forward. “It has to be up to us that have been here with them to continue their legacy.”

Swayman did not hesitate to explain how cut throat the trade deadline can be. One moment, you are playing on the ice side by side with your fellow men, the next thing you know they are leaving with their bags. “It’s tough. It’s a business and you can see that, but you know, there’s tears going when you see your boys that you’re practicing with 30 minutes earlier, and you’re just excited to go get dinner with them that night and then they’re gone.” And then he summed up the feelings of every Bruins fan—“It’s not fair.” But that did not mean that he would abandon them altogether. “They’re stuck with me for life.”

Still, the Bruins had a job to do, and they got it done with a 4-0 win against Tampa Bay Lightning, where Swayman made 26 saves. “You know what, it’s just a bouncing puck,” he said, reflecting on the save he made off Brandon Hagel‘s shot. But that effort, that fight? That is how the Bruins intend to pay tribute to the guys who are no longer around the dressing room. But this was not the first teammate who was heartbroken with Brad Marchand leaving!

Another Bruin, same heartbreak!

One day you’re battling side by side, the next, hockey world flips upside down. When the news came out that Brad Marchand was moving to the south, Charlie McAvoy would relate to that gut punch. His captain, his brother-in-black-and-gold, gone. And how did McAvoy cope with it? In the same way any heartbroken Bruin would–by walking through a memory lane. On March 7, he posted on Instagram stories with a tribute that could be in a highlight. Four pictures, four images that have been captured at different times. Two with Marchand, two with Trent Frederic.

But that last one was the clincher—McAvoy, arms locked around Marchand, goal in the bag, with nothing but heartbreak emojis to say what words couldn’t. While Marchand is on his way to division rivals, Frederic is traveling west to the Edmonton Oilers camp thanks to a complex three-way trade involving the Devils. In return, the Bruins got blueliner Max Wanner, a 2025 second-round draft pick (through St. Louis), and a fourth-round pick in 2026.

Oh, and just to add another twist? Frederic’s salary for the season is still being split by the Bruins for 50%. Because, well, that’s just the kind of wild, gut-wrenching trade season it’s been for the Bruins.