Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand has, at the ripe old age of 27, taken his game to a new level. His play this NHL season has been nothing short of inspired and the Bruins front office has apparently taken notice. According to a recent report, there are already plans for the two sides to get "serious" about a contract extension this offseason.
"According to multiple sources, both sides anticipate getting serious about a long-term deal this summer, so that Marchand doesn't enter next season in the final year of his deal," ESPN's Craig Custance wrote Wednesday.
This is good news for the Bruins and their fans, who have watched this season as Marchand, long considered little more than a pest, has blossomed into a guy who could now finish the season with over 40 markers should his current scoring pace - 28 goals in 52 games - continue. Considering his defensive prowess and the edge to his game, the fact that Marchand has been able to add a - presumably/hopefully - consistent offensive element to his game is promising for the future in Boston.
Unfortunately, there's another Bruins player affected by Marchand's development - Loui Eriksson.
Eriksson, 30, has also played surprisingly well this season, picking up his own game and looking much more like the 70-point producer he once was with the Dallas Stars. But the Bruins don't have much cap space to go around. Right now, the team has about $5.2 million in cap space available, according to General Fanager.
Many of the team's core players are already locked up, but Eriksson, Torey Krug and Joe Morrow are all without deals beyond this season. Marchand, already making $4.5 million per season, will be set for a significant raise and likely plenty of term. If Bruins GM Don Sweeney wants to re-sign him this offseason, that means yet another big deal on the books in Boston starting in 2016-17.
With Patrice Bergeron ($6.875 million per season) and David Krejci ($7.25 million per season) already making major money and headed into their 30's, the "young" Bruins may suddenly find themselves committed long-term to a core group of aging group of forwards.
Sweeney has remained adamant that he'd like Eriksson back in the fold, but if, as Custance suggests, a $6 million AAV is what Eriksson is eyeing, whether with the B's or on the open market, and Marchand's deal is more of a priority, Eriksson's NHL future may lie elsewhere.
