Florida Panthers make it official: Brad Marchand back for six more years
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The 37-year-old winger from Hammonds Plains agreed to a six-year contract extension with the Panthers on Tuesday, passing on the chance to go to the open market as an unrestricted free agent. The annual average of the veteran winger's new salary is $5.25 million with a full no-trade clause for the first four years and then a partial no-trade component for the final two. He'll be 43 when the contract expires.
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'Instantly supplementing our lineup from the moment he arrived in South Florida, Brad has been an outstanding addition to our team,' general manager Bill Zito announced in a news release. 'He is the definition of a warrior on the ice, a critical leader for our group and a relentless competitor.'
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By returning to the Panthers, Marchand gets a chance to repeat as a Stanley Cup champion. The Boston Bruins dealt him to Florida at the trade deadline in March and he played a key role in the Panthers' second straight Cup title. He finished second to teammate Sam Bennett in voting for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff most valuable player.
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In addition to leaning into his usual role as a villain in Florida, Marchand also impressed everyone inside the organization with his leadership. Head coach Paul Maurice and teammates raved about his contribution in that area on countless occasions, especially with how he struck a balance between humour and competitive focus.
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'He has an incredibly positive spirit,' Maurice told reporters after the Panthers eliminated the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round. 'Guys that are vocal and intense sometimes will get up and down your bench screaming at your bench. They just get so wired in games but he never does that. It's always positive. It's always 'Stay in there, hang in there, that was great.' It's bordering on legendary status at this point.
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'It's his personality that I didn't know about. He's moved into the Matthew Tkachuk (category) where you hate them – and that's a horrible word – but it's close. But then they get here and you go 'You're the exact opposite person that I thought you were.' He's just a wonderful human being.'
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The organization's winning culture helped Zito also re-sign Bennett and franchise defenceman Aaron Ekblad prior to the opening of free agency. The Panthers now have all 12 forwards back from last year's team, in addition to start goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and most of their defence.
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Marchand spent his first 15-and-a-half NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins but he didn't fit into their rebuilding plans. The Bruins received a conditional second-round pick for him at the deadline, which later became a first-rounder once the Panthers advanced past the second round.
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