Bruins Will Shift To Brad Marchand Contract Extension ‘In Short Order,’ GM Says

Brad Marchand arguably was the Boston Bruins’ best player last season, and the team clearly wants to make sure he remains an important part of its success for the foreseeable future.

B’s general manager Don Sweeney was asked Friday — the first day of NHL free agency — about a potential contract extension for Marchand, who has one year left on his current deal at a $4.5 million salary cap hit.

“There’s no slow playing there,” Sweeney said during a media conference call. “We will pick up in a timely fashion.”

“We’ve got a couple other things that we’re exploring in the next day or so, take a deep breath. But we will be exploring completing that for Brad in short order.”

Marchand scored a career-high 37 goals and 61 points in 77 games last season. His offensive production, in addition to his elite penalty killing alongside linemate Patrice Bergeron and ability to drive puck possession at a high level make him an extremely valuable player.

Put simply, Marchand is a first-line player (see Own the Puck chart below), and those are the guys you must keep long-term.