UPDATE (12:15 p.m. ET): Brad Marchand’s contract extension is official, with the Boston Bruins confirming in a statement that it’s worth $49 million over eight seasons.
“This is an extremely exciting day for me and my family,” Marchand said in a statement released by the Bruins. “I would like to thank the Jacobs family, Cam Neely, Don Sweeney, Claude Julien, the coaching staff, my teammates and our fans for their continued support and belief in me. I have been a Bruin since the start of my pro career and there is no place I would rather play. I look forward to doing everything I can to help our team achieve success and bring the Stanley Cup back to Boston.”
Marchand now is under contract with the Bruins through the 2024-25 season.
ORIGINAL STORY: Brad Marchand will stay in Boston, much to the delight of Bruins fans everywhere.
The 28-year-old left winger has come to terms on an eight-year deal worth $49 million with the Bruins, per TSN’s Bob McKenzie and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
There also are no-movement and no-trade provisions in the deal, per ESPN’s Craig Custance.
Brad Marchand deal has full no-move for first five seasons and then limited no-trade kicks in.
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) September 26, 2016
Marchand would have become an unrestricted free agent if unsigned by July 1, 2017. He’s entering the final season of a four-year, $18.5 million deal, then the contract extension will take effect.
Marchand also is coming off his best season as a pro, when he scored a career-high 37 goals with 24 assists in 77 games. His even-strength puck possession numbers were excellent, too.
Brad Marchand has always been an elite finisher. His 2015-2016 was a good example of why it's good to shoot the puck as often as possible. pic.twitter.com/2L6blEh4qG
— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) September 26, 2016
Marchand has established quite a rapport with Bruins center Patrice Bergeron on Boston’s top line. They’ve become arguably the league’s best two-way duo, both at even strength and the penalty kill, and both now are locked up to team-friendly, long-term contracts, with Bergeron having signed an eight-year, $55 million contract that started in 2014-15.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports ImagesÂ
