Don Sweeney on Sunday acknowledged the Bruins are unlikely to issue contract extensions to the majority of players on their NHL roster before the start of the offseason, but there might be one major exception.
Brad Marchand’s future in Boston has been a hot topic of conversation for some time now. The Bruins captain is playing in the final season of the eight-year, $49 million contract he signed in late September 2016, which theoretically puts him in jeopardy of leaving the only NHL franchise he’s ever known.
However, Sweeney on Sunday stressed keeping the 16th-year pro in a black-and-gold sweater is his “ultimate goal.” As such, the Bruins have remained in contact with Marchand and his team.
“We’ve been in negotiations with Brad and communicating with him throughout the year,” Sweeney told reporters, per a team-provided video. “We’ll have to have a conversation now that 4 Nations is over — sit down with Brad and his representatives and have a clearer path in the next two weeks as to what his final outcome will be.”
Marchand at the start of the season made it clear he wasn’t interested in talking about contract matters publicly. But one has to imagine the 2006 Bruins draft pick is interested in continuing his playing career in Boston and ultimately retiring as a member of the storied organization.
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That said, Marchand’s current focus surely is on trying to lead the B’s to a strong end of the regular season and in turn make a serious bid for a playoff spot.
Featured image via Bob DeChiara/Imagn Images
