Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand is among the notable NHL stars eligible for UFA status next July.
The 36-year-old left winger has a cap hit of $6.125 million, making him a steal for the Bruins over the course of his eight-year contract.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported Saturday that Marchand and the Bruins were close to an agreement on a three-year contract extension. However, Marchand quickly denied this, saying the report was false.
“Obviously Elliotte is just wrong here,” he told reporters.
Marchand added that he would not discuss his contract status with the media. He added that if he had signed a three-year contract, this would have happened by now.
Andrew Fantucchio of Boston Hockey Now believes contract talks are underway between Marchand and Bruins management. He pointed out that Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney told the press on September 30 that he had had many conversations with Marchand’s camp but declined to comment on progress.
Time will tell if Marchand re-signs with the Bruins and for how long. It is clear that neither side wants to discuss matters through the press.
Related: While Bruins’ Marchand defends coach over argument, not every argument causes bad blood
As for the Anaheim Ducks, NHL insider Nick Kypreos reported in his Toronto star column that Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson would be nearing his return from an emergency appendectomy on September 26. The expected recovery period was three to six weeks.
Kypreos believes the 31-year-old netminder could draw interest from clubs that have problems between the pipes, such as the Colorado Avalanche and Pittsburgh Penguins. He also claimed that the Carolina Hurricanes almost acquired Gibson over the summer, but the deal fell through.
Gibson’s stats have suffered over the past three seasons for the rebuilding Ducks. Nevertheless, it is suggested that he would be better off playing for a better club. His contract could be a sticking point. He signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $6.4 million and a 10-team trade clause.
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