The Florida Panthers went into the offseason with plenty of uncertainty as to whether they'd be able to retain some key players from their Stanley Cup winning core, including Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand.
On the eve of NHL free agency, they managed to complete the sweep and lock down all three on new deals.
According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Marchand and the Panthers are running it back on a new long-term contract. The deal is for a staggering six seasons and will pay the veteran winger a total of $32 million.
As such, Marchand will be under contract at an average annual value of $5.33 million through the 2030-31 season, at which point he'll be just shy of 43 years old.
It's a long term to commit to the veteran, but GM Bill Zito was determined not to let any of Bennett, Ekblad or Barchand reach the open market, and was successful in his efforts to keep them. The trio are now set to earn a combined $19.43 million annually.
Last season, Florida acquired Marchand in a trade deadline deal with the Boston Bruins. He went on to be an instrumental cog in their championship run, registering 20 points including 10 goals during the postseason.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Brad Marchand Agrees to Six-Year Contract Extension to Stay With Panthers.
