Boston Bruins
Brad Marchand Denies Report Of Three-Year Extension With Bruins
BOSTON– On the ice on Saturday night, Brad Marchand was the hero for the Boston Bruins at TD Garden as he scored the game-winning goal in overtime against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Off the ice, rumors of his future with the club swirled.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Marchand and the Bruins are reportedly nearing an agreement on a three-year contract extension.
“The word is that the Bruins and Marchand are getting closer on an extension, expected to be three years,” Friedman said on Saturday’s Hockey Night In Canada broadcast. “We’ll see what happens in the next little bit, but the word is that they’re getting closer.”
Marchand, 36, is in the final year of an eight-year deal that he signed with the Bruins back in 2017 and will be an unrestricted free agent next offseason. Should he sign the reported three-year extension, it would keep him in Boston through the 2027-28 season.
The report, however, is false according to Marchand, who denied its existence following the game.
Brad Marchand says the earlier report that he was signing a three-year extension with the Bruins is false and that he won’t comment any further on his contract situation.
— Andrew Fantucchio (@A_Fantucchio) October 27, 2024
“Elliott likes talking about me this week,” said Marchand. “I’m not going to talk about contract stuff in the media. That report from Elliott is false. If I was going to sign a three-year extension, it would be signed. Clearly, Elliott is just wrong there.”
Whether or not Marchand and the Bruins are close to a deal is uncertain, but Friedman’s report seems to indicate that talks between the two sides are ongoing.
“We’ve had plenty of discussions with Brad’s camp in terms of trying to find a landing spot there,” Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said on Sep. 30 before the start of the season. “We’re as proactive as we possibly can be within the parameters of the league and CBA of when we can talk to players.”
Marchand first became eligible for a new contract back on July 1 at the start of the new league year. Since then many other marquee players who would’ve hit the open market next summer have already signed new deals with their respective clubs, including Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers.
Along with Marchand, the Bruins have four players set to hit the open market after this season, including Trent Frederic and Justin Brazeau.
Marchand has spent the entirety of his 16-year NHL career with the Bruins, playing in 1,037 games and accumulating 933 points with 401 goals.
He was part of the Bruins’ Stanley Cup championship team in 2011 and took over as the 26th captain in franchise history last season.
“He’s our leader. He’s our captain,” Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said following Saturday night’s win. “He’s someone who embodies what it means to be a Bruin because he plays the game the right way.”