One of the biggest storylines of the Stanley Cup Finals has been the performance of Brad Marchand, who now has scored in each of the first three games and four goals total. The long-time Boston Bruin has been a difference-maker for the Florida Panthers and if they end up winning the series, he will be a big reason why.
It has been a remarkable performance, especially when considering that Marchand is 37 years old and playing in his 16th NHL season. He is set to be a free agent after this season and with the latest performance, he should have plenty of interest in free agency.
The Los Angeles Kings would be a logical franchise to try and sign Marchand as they are trying to build a team that will compete in the playoffs. Marchand is showing that he can do just that, even at this stage of his career.
Los Angeles Kings might want to avoid Brad Marchand based on the contract he is looking for
Recently on The Chris Johnston Show, Johnston said that Marchand is reportedly looking for a three or four-year deal. That means that Marchand could be 40 or 41 years old by the time this new contract is up.
The way that he has played, he probably could be looking at a contract that would be around $7 or $8 million AAV. There is no question that the Kings would be happy to offer that type of contract if it guaranteed a Stanley Cup. It would certainly make them older but give players like Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty one final run to secure another Stanley Cup before they call it a career.
However, there is no such guarantee, and it could create a potential salary cap issue in the next few seasons for the Kings. It is hard to blame Los Angeles if they see this performance and believe Marchand is that missing piece to playoff success, but it would certainly be a risk.