Boston Bruins keep Brad Marchand on squad with four-year extension -NHL Update
When the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup back in 2011 for the first time in over 40 years, it was primetime for many players who were never considered to be part of the elite group of the National Hockey League (NHL), but like some others, Brad Marchand
has been in the streamline ever since and continues to hold a valuable place on the squad.
It was his first full time season in which he definitely performed beyond expectations by potting 41 points (21 goals, 20 assists) in 77 games played, forcing the Bruins to keep him on the team seeing the potential he held. He played even better in the crucial
playoffs with a 19 point (11 goals, 8 assists) performance in 25 games and 40 minutes in the penalty box to get that Stanley Cup ring on his finger.
Boston Bruins rewarded the power forward with a much deserved four-year contract worth a cool $18 million, much more than his previous two-year, $5 million deal. The youngster will now be getting $4 million in 2013-2014 and will be making an extra million
during his final year on his contract.
"When he came up towards the end of that year, he struggled," Bruins general manager, Peter Chiarelli, said during a conference call Friday. "He was a little behind the play. The stuff that he had excelled at in the American (Hockey) League, he had trouble.
He was a little bit behind and he was getting pushed off of pucks. But he got stronger, he got older, he got smarter, and then he had his year two years ago.”
For the Boston Bruins, having Marchand on the line-up automatically improves the performance of the other players as he sets them up and also takes the lead when and where needed. Last season was not his best, but he knows the future will have much more
in store for him.
"His style of play, his persona, his timely goals and his amount of goals obviously bring a great component to the Bruins and the Bruins' organization," Chiarelli added.
It will definitely be interesting to see how the forward keeps improving in the upcoming season.
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