Rumor: Brad close to signing 3 yr extension

[Bruinfanatic]

Hope it’s a cap friendly contract

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Signing Marchand to a 3-year deal at this point would be absurd.

 

[Gee Wally]

Brad Marchand denies report of contract extension - The Boston Globe

Typically an engaging and eager talker, Marchand wanted no part of the contract dialogue, though he made clear he was aware of the three-year term noted in Friedman’s report.

www.bostonglobe.com

Fresh off finally scoring his first goal of the season, career No. 402, Brad Marchand Saturday night flatly denied a media report that he is close to signing a contract extension with the Bruins, one that veteran Toronto-based reporter Elliotte Friedman suggested on Canadian TV would cover three more seasons.

Typically an engaging and eager talker, Marchand wanted no part of the contract dialogue, though he made clear he was aware of the three-year term noted in Friedman’s report.

“That report from Elliotte,” stated Marchand, after poking home the OT game winner (4-3) vs. the Leafs at the Garden, “is false.”

“Elliotte,” Marchand added a few seconds later, “is just wrong there.”

For those keeping track of cash and cap figures at home, the highly-respected Friedman is rarely, if ever, off the mark. He is one of the small gaggle of reporters wired directly to the game’s biggest agents such as Wade Arnott, Marchand’s representative of record.

Marchand, 36, will sign a new deal soon – both he and GM Don Sweeney have said since the summer that they are committed to getting it done. Three years is the likely term, and logical payout (spitballing here) would be in the $10-$12M range, albeit with achievable performance bonuses ultimately determining the final gross value of the deal.

Ahead of 2022-23, then team captain Patrice Bergeron signed a one-year/$5M pact that Sweeney hammered out around $1M in signing bonus, $1.5M in guaranteed salary and $2.5M worth of performance bonuses.

More to come on all that, probably sooner rather than later, and don’t be surprised if the intrepid Friedman nailed it.

Marchand currently is on target to be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, upon the expiration of his current 8-year/$49M pact that, in typical Marchand style, he outperformed.

Meanwhile, rarely noted in the ever-lengthening narrative around Marchand is the fact that this year or next he should record his 1,000th NHL point. The former third-round draft pick (No. 71) in 2006 now has 935 career points, fourth best in his draft class, and one day soon will join an elite four-figure group that today numbers only 98 NHLers.


“You could tell how happy our bench was when he scored that goal,” said Bruins coach Jim Montgomery, who awarded his group with a day of rest on Sunday. “He’s our leader. And he’s someone that embodies what it is to be a Bruin – the way he carries himself on the ice, off the ice, everything . . . and he’s our captain.”

Question of the day, with no easy answer: Once Marchand chooses to retire, who’s your pick to wear the ‘C’?

 

[mar2kbos]

3 yrs in the 10-12 range? Yeah no. Love Marchand but he is definitely not the player he was. Same cap or lower year by year I could see, but three years is nuts

 

[Gee Wally]

3 yrs in the 10-12 range? Yeah no. Love Marchand but he is definitely not the player he was. Same cap or lower year by year I could see, but three years is nuts

I think what he means there is total value overall. Similar to Bergeron. Say 1.5 salary and 2 to 2.5 over 35 performance bonus.

 

[mar2kbos]

I think what he means there is total value overall. Similar to Bergeron. Say 1.5 salary and 2 to 2.5 over 35 performance bonus.

Yeah I caught that afterwards. Still 3 years is too long not sure his body will hold up. He is getting caught more with big hits. He just can’t hard cut like he used to. I can’t expect that will get better

 

[Gee Wally]

Yeah I caught that afterwards. Still 3 years is too long not sure his body will hold up. He is getting caught more with big hits. He just can’t hard cut like he used to. I can’t expect that will get better

Father Time is certainly undefeated.
But I think if later in the season he has performed I’m ok with 3 years.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Signing Marchand to a 3-year deal at this point would be absurd.

If it were an absurdly low salary such as $2 million it would be worth considering. Depends how much he buys into the team first mentality or the modern maximize salary mentality.

 

[Sheppy]

Overall, I'm OK with an extension if it comes cheap. I'm not thrilled with what I've been seeing this year.

I just don't want to see him in another jersey.

 

[Dr Hook]

Father Time is certainly undefeated.
But I think if later in the season he has performed I’m ok with 3 years.

That is where I am with this as well: let's see how he does through the rest of year. Is his poor start down to surgeries and time missed training, is it too many hard miles on his body, or a combination of both? If it is the last one, how much of one versus the other? There really is no rush for the team to do anything right now.