Brad Marchand was a victim of the Boston Bruins' culture of taking team-friendly deals in his 16 years with the team. Marchand's big payday came before the 2017-18 season when he signed an eight-year, $6.125 million annual deal, which at the time looked like a steal for Boston.
The consensus was that Marchand would be a lifelong Bruin once they gave him the captaincy for the 2023-24 season, but that took a shocking turn when they traded him to their rival, the Florida Panthers, at the 2025 trade deadline.
Marchand is now two wins away from his second Stanley Cup and is playing his best hockey in years. The 37-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down, and at an age where most players take team-friendly deals, the former Bruins captain looks to be cashing in on his stellar postseason run.
Before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, Chris Johnston reported on his podcast that Marchand could be looking at a deal with an annual average value of over $8 million for four years. It would be a risk at his age, but it's hard to ignore that he hasn't slowed down during this playoff run.
Marchand's career earnings are around $72 million, and a deal of this magnitude would help him eclipse the $100 million mark. For a player who has been such a star in the league for the last decade, it'll be a well-deserved payday.