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Brad Marchand

Bruins Hope To Extend Brad Marchand By Start Of Season

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The Bruins remain in discussions with left winger Brad Marchand on a long-term contract extension, reports CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty.  Team president Cam Neely had the following to say about their talks:

“We’d like to get Brad signed. We’ve made that clear to him, and we’ve made that clear to his agency. I know Don has been working with their group to a get a deal done. We’d like to get something done before the start of the season.”

Marchand is coming off a career season where he recorded 37 goals and 24 assists in 77 games while averaging 18:36 per game.  His goal total ranked him sixth in the league.  His strong year helped earn him a spot on Team Canada at the World Cup of Hockey where he is currently slotted on the top line alongside teammate Patrice Bergeron and Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby.

Earlier this offseason, Marchand commented on negotiations and indicated that he would like to stick with the Bruins for the long term:

“It would be great to be here my whole career, and you see how rare that is nowadays. It doesn’t happen often, so that would be incredible. But a lot of things have to line up in order for that to happen not only now, but down the road. So, we’ll play it year-by-year.”

The 28 year old is entering the final season of a four year contract that carries a cap hit of $4.5MM and will pay him $5MM in salary.  Needless to say, he is looking at getting a big raise on a lengthy contract.

Boston’s highest paid player in terms of AAV is David Krejci who is in the second season of a six year deal with a cap hit of $7.25MM per season.  With the season Marchand just had, it wouldn’t be surprising if it takes more money than that to get a deal done.  If that happens, the team would have at least four players signed for 2017-18 with a cap hit of $6.875MM or more (the others being center Patrice Bergeron and goalie Tuukka Rask).

Boston already has a little less than $54MM committed to 14 players beyond this season according to Cap Friendly so a big extension for Marchand could potentially present some challenges filling out the rest of their roster next offseason (particularly with both Ryan Spooner and David Pastrnak being restricted free agents).  However, in the cap era, teams are spending more money building around their core talent and then using cheaper options to fill the final few spots on the roster which is an avenue that the Bruins would likely take if a deal gets done.

Top Ten 2017 UFAs (Part 1)

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With 2016’s free agency frenzy all but over, it’s high time to start looking at next year’s free agent crop. True, some of the following may sign extensions over the course of the year, but others may want to take advantage of the period before July 1st where players can talk with other teams. Another variable in the mix is the expansion draft, and teams may want to hold off of on signing players until after the draft to maximize protection slots. Here are the first five of our top-ten 2017 UFAs:

Brent Burns

Brent Burns is peaking at just the right time. The versatile defenseman scored 27G and 48A in 82 games last season playing over 25 minutes a night. Burns continued his scoring prowess in the playoffs by potting an additional 7G and 17A in the Sharks’ Cup Finals run. It was his best season stat-wise to date, and hockey writers agreed as they placed him 3rd in Norris voting.

Elite defenseman are always a hot commodity in the NHL, and Burns will cash in no matter where he lands. His current expiring contract was a five-year deal worth $5.76MM a year, and he should receive a substantial raise. San Jose understands his value and should lock him up before he reaches free agency, but it is doubtful that Burns takes a hometown discount.

Kevin Shattenkirk

Kevin Shattenkirk is an interesting player to gauge because he plays on a team with two other excellent defenseman: Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester. He scored 14G and 30A in 72 games last season and still managed to play over 21 minutes a night. The American defenseman may not receive all the accolades that Pietrangelo does, but Shattenkirk can hold his own. He has been the subject of trade rumors this offseason, so it will not be a surprise if he walks at the end of the season.

Shattenkirk’s last contract was for four years at $4.25MM a year. He’ll likely receive a nice raise as teams are always in the hunt for top-line defensemen. The market for blueliners precipitously drops after the first few names, so teams will be willing to shell out the big bucks to avoid missing out.

Brad Marchand

Brad Marchand had himself a career year last season, scoring 37G and 24A in 77 games. The Boston Bruins left-winger is looking to build off of that to garner a large contract next off-season, but it might not be with the Bruins. Boston already has four players—Tuukka Rask, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, and David Backes—signed for $6MM and more each. The team may not be able to afford Marchand’s asking price, and signing Backes this summer may have been a backup plan in case they cannot come to terms.

Look for Marchard to receive Milan Lucic money next season somewhere with a more prominent playing role. Marchand’s a gifted scorer with a bulldog demeanor that excites old-school and new-school fans alike. His skills will be in high demand as long as he maintains his current production.

Joe Thornton

It is unclear whether Thornton will retire after this season, but if he returns his skill set will also be in high demand. The 37 year-old Sharks forward had his best season in years, scoring 19G and 63A while playing all 82 games. He continued to shed his (undeserved) playoff-choker role by potting an additional 3G and 18A in 21 games in the Shark’s Cup Finals run.

Thornton still had gas left in the tank, and any team looking for veteran help and superb playmaking skills would benefit from his presence. The forward is coming off a three-year deal worth $6.75MM a year, and will most likely command similar money for another two or three year deal. Some teams may be wary of Thornton’s age, however, as he is over 35 and any contract he signs remains on the cap if he retires early.

Ben Bishop

Ben Bishop enters this season as the top goaltender with an expiring contract. The Vezina Trophy runner-up had a 2.06GAA and a .926 SV% in 60 starts last season. He posted 8 wins and 2 losses in the playoffs before suffering a knee injury. That knee injury was key as it allowed Tampa Bay’s backup Andrei Vasilevskiy to shine. The Lightning go forward knowing that if they do not re-sign Bishop, they can rely on Vasilevskiy.

Bishop was also the subject of trade rumors this offseason, including a potential draft-day trade with the Flames. Top-notch goaltending is another hot commodity in the league, so look for Bishop to enter free agency with many suitors. Teams with perennial goaltending woes may overpay for a solid starter to provide stability.

Bruins Notes: Krejci, Marchand, Vatrano

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Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com was busy today, writing multiple pieces about the Boston Bruins and their upcoming training camp. On David Krejci’s exit from the World Cup today, Haggerty reminds us what the centerman said earlier this week:

If I’m ready then that would be awesome, but if not then I have to do what I have to do to be 100 percent. I’m in contact with the national team coach, and we talk pretty every week. They’re asking about my updates, so they know what’s going on. I’m sure they have some backup plan if it’s not going to work out. We’ll see what happens.

He had hip surgery in April, and is still expected to be ready for the season.  Here is some more from Haggerty today:

  • Brad Marchand isn’t thinking about a new contract while he plays this season, saying that he goes year-by-year and is more focused on making it back to the playoffs. “Guys are really hungry after missing the playoffs again last year. First and foremost this year is on my end and we’ll deal with the years after that down the road.” said Marchand, but Haggerty opines that the Bruins should be more concerned with locking up their young winger. He’s part of the driving force behind the Bruins lineup, and should command more than Loui Eriksson if he hits the open market next summer.  He’s set to earn $5MM in salary this season in his last of a four-year pact.
  • Frank Vatrano scored 44 goals last season across two levels in his first full year at the professional level. He’s out for even more this year. “I kind of know what it takes to play at the next level, and how to be a complete player. Going into summer that was kind of my mentality: to become a complete player. That’s something I’ve been working at all summer.” The 22-year old exploded onto the AHL scene this year after a successful sophomore year at UMass in 2014-15. 55 points in 36 games at the lower level, he’ll need to prove that he can carry that production to the big leagues; he only scored 11 points in 39 NHL contests.

Corey Perry Added To Team Canada World Cup Roster

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After Jeff Carter pulled out earlier today with an injury, Mike Morreale of NHL.com reports that Team Canada has announced that Anaheim Ducks’ forward Corey Perry will replace him on the roster.  Carter suffered what is being characterized as a “week-to-week” lower-body injury while training for the tournament, and thought better of risking further aggravation so close to the start of the season.Corey Perry

For Perry, it was surprising to many that he was left off the original roster after suiting up for Canada at the past two Olympic games, winning gold both times. Perry in fact has donned the red and white quite a few times during his hockey career, collecting a both World Junior and World Championship gold to go with the Olympic victories.

After what some characterized as a down year (which still saw him score 34 goals and 62 points), Perry was held to zero goals in the postseason as Anaheim was ejected in the first round by the Nashville Predators. A former 50-goal scorer, Perry will become just the second true winger (joining Brad Marchand) up front for the Canadians, and likely skate with teammate Ryan Getzlaf once again.

Taylor Hall is likely next in line should another forward succumb to injury before the tournament, though as Tom Gulitti of NHL.com points out the New Jersey Devils will be just fine with him getting an entire training camp to familiarize himself with his new team before playing on what will likely be the most successful team of his career thus far.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

World Cup Notes: Price, Tavares, Crosby

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Worry not, fans of Canada and the Canadiens. Carey Price is healthy and ready to go for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. In an interview with Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, Team Canada’s GM Doug Armstrong said Price is “100 per cent and he’s ready to go” for the start of Team Canada’s training camp, which kicks off on the Labour Day long weekend.

Price hasn’t played an NHL game since November 25, so “he’ll have to shake off some of the rust”, according to Armstrong. The Canadian GM has been in touch with Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin since naming Price to the initial roster on March 2. Armstrong said Price may be the best goaltender in the world based on his play since the Sochi Olympics.

Here are some other notes from Canada’s World Cup roster:

  • Islanders captain John Tavares spoke with Sportsnet’s Luke Fox about the challenges that come with the early end to the summer, compounded by the Islanders making their longest playoff run since he was drafted in 2009. “You lose two weeks that you normally use for training or getting settled in your home city,” said Tavares. However, he’s excited to take part, especially after being forced to miss Canada’s last two games in Sochi. There’s no one player that Tavares is looking forward to lining up beside; instead its the chance to learn from the great leaders.
  • Tavares also commented on the possibility of the NHL not attending the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. He enjoys the best-on-best tournaments, and despite the return of the World Cup, says that there’s “something special” about the Olympics.
  • Unlike Tavares, there’s one player in particular that Sidney Crosby is looking forward to having on his team: fellow Nova Scotian and noted pest Brad Marchand. Crosby told Fox that “having [Marchand] on your team is going to be so much more enjoyable than having to play against him.” He added that Marchand is a “really good player” who plays “right on the edge”. The two skate together in the off-season with another local kid by the name of Nathan MacKinnon, who will play on Team North America.

Snapshots: Blues, Hall, Seguin

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The St. Louis Blues will have a vastly different look this season after a summer of big changes. In an online chat on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch website, Jeremy Rutherford chatted about some of the differences Blues fans can expect this coming season.

Regarding the Brian Elliott trade, Rutherford believed Blues GM Doug Armstrong made the trade to avoid losing him for nothing next summer when Elliott is a UFA. While the trade could go wrong if Jake Allen struggles or gets hurt, the trade makes sense, asset-management wise.

Former captain David Backes left town for a bigger contract in Boston; while Backes claimed Bruins forwards Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand convinced him to sign in Boston, Rutherford shut down that idea saying players will sign wherever is best for them and that if the Blues had offered Backes a fifth year, then it wouldn’t have mattered what Bergeron and Marchand said. As far as replacing Backes as captain, Rutherford felt it was safe to assume one of the remaining assistant captains (Alex Pietrangelo and Alex Steen) would be the new captain. The new assistant would likely be one of Paul Stastny, Jaden Schwartz, and Vladimir Tarasenko – who Rutherford believed was “pretty disappointed to not get an A last year”.

Here are some other notes from around the hockey world:

  • It’s New Jersey Devils day on Pro Hockey Talk, and they have named Taylor Hall as their player under pressure this season. Adam Gretz justified the choice by saying while he knows Hall will produce, he’ll be under scrutiny because of the perception that he’s at fault for the Oilers misfortunes over the last six years and the high price that the Devils parted with to acquire him. Oscar Klefbom’s comments about Hall and Ben Scrivens subsequent agreement will also be weighing on Hall as he looks to prove his former team and teammates wrong.
  • Speaking of top picks from the 2010 NHL Draft that Peter Chiarelli has traded, Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin says he’s ready to go for the upcoming World Cup in September. Seguin missed all but one of the Stars playoff games with Achilles and calf injuries. Seguin told Steve Hunt of NHL.com it’s been “a bit of a different summer as far as training-wise just coming off an injury, but feeling great and looking forward to the World Cup”.

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