Notebook Buzz
The Boston Bruins today signed forward Brad Marchand to a four-year, $18 million extension through the 2016-17 season. Marchand, 24, set career highs in goals (28), assists (27) and points (55) last season for the Bruins and was a +31, which ranked 5th in the NHL.
The deal carries a cap hit of $4.5 million and is a good deal for both sides. Marchand is not a true top-6 forward, but is just 24 years old and is also one of those heart and soul players you win championships with.
The Bruins though have some cap issues to deal with moving forward. Boston has $68.8 million committed to salaries for 2012-2013, according to cap geek, and even with Marchand now taking care of, the Bruins still have a number of key forwards entering the last year of their contracts.
The notable players include Milan Lucic, Nathan Horton, Tyler Seguin, in addition to goaltender Tuukka Rask who could put himself in line for $5 to $6 million per season with a strong 2012-2013 campaign. Lucic is currently carrying a $4.083 million cap hit, while Seguin has a $3.55 million cap hit (with all bonuses reached). Of the two, Seguin could cost Boston the most with Taylor Hall’s 7 year – $42 million deal likely going to be a starting point from Seguin’s camp.
What hinders the Bruins right now is that they have dead money in Tim Thomas $5 million cap hit.
