Florida Panthers Secure Brad Marchand with Contract Extension
After securing the re-signing of Aaron Ekblad, the Florida Panthers continue to strengthen their team for next season. Brad Marchand has been re-signed with a six-year contract extension, according to sources close to the team.
The eight-year extension with Ekblad, valued at $6.1 million annually, left the Panthers with a projected space of $4.9 million in the salary cap.
There was a possibility that Marchand would seek a more lucrative offer elsewhere, given that some teams had enough space under the salary cap to sign him.
However, Marchand, 37, who arrived before the NHL trade deadline from the Boston Bruins, seems likely to remain in South Florida for the rest of his career.
The acquisition of defenseman Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks and the subsequent incorporation of Marchand, who was an unrestricted free agent before the last day prior to the start of free agency, were two decisions made by Panthers general manager Bill Zito, with the intention that the team could win a consecutive Stanley Cup, as part of a streak that would also include three consecutive appearances in the Cup final.
Marchand proved in the postseason why the Panthers, along with other NHL teams, would continue to seek his services. He scored 10 goals and finished with 20 points in 23 playoff games.
For all the contributions he made, his greatest achievement came during the final series of the Cup against the Edmonton Oilers.
Marchand, who previously won a Cup with the Bruins in 2011, opened the series with a goal in the first three games. This includes the two goals he scored in the Panthers’ 5-4 double overtime victory to tie the series, the second being the winning goal.
Scored two more goals in the 5-2 Game 5 victory, allowing the Panthers to take a 3-1 series lead before returning to Sunrise, Florida, where they closed out the series with an emphatic 5-1 victory.
The achievement of a consecutive title generated questions about whether the Panthers could win a third consecutive one. But that also came with the understanding that it could be difficult, given that there was only a limited amount of space in the salary cap to re-sign Conn Smythe winner Sam Bennett, Ekblad, and Marchand.
Knowing that there was a possibility that they could lose at least one of them, Zito laid the groundwork to retain the trio. He began by signing Bennett to an eight-year contract for $8 million annually on June 27, before using Monday to sign Ekblad and Marchand.
