FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Brad Marchand mentioned he is thought of re-signing with the Florida Panthers this offseason however harassed that his focus stays on profitable the Stanley Cup earlier than making any free company choices.
“Yeah, I’ve considered it. However we’ll take care of that sooner or later,” mentioned Marchand.
The Panthers acquired Marchand from Boston after he and the Bruins have been unable to come back to phrases on a contract extension. Marchand turns into an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Subsequent season can be his seventeenth within the NHL.
The 37-year-old left wing could possibly be a coveted veteran participant on the free-agent market, having scored 23 targets with 28 assists in 71 video games this season. He stays a stable two-way participant who performs a tenacious, agitating recreation. However his inventory has solely risen on this run to the Stanley Cup Remaining with the Panthers through which Marchand has 17 factors in 19 video games with seven targets — two of them scored in Florida’s Sport 2 win in Edmonton, together with the game-winner in double-overtime.
“I did not respect how good his arms are. They’re sort of in that Matthew Tkachuk mode. That is a set of arms that is on the high finish. These guys are particular,” mentioned coach Paul Maurice of Marchand. “He is an distinctive man. Actually take pleasure in having him.”
Marchand mentioned he is tried to maintain ideas about his future out of his mindset, with the Panthers tied 1-1 with the Oilers within the Stanley Cup Remaining.
“The longest you’ll be able to go is 2 weeks, so that you’re within the second that whole time. You’ll be able to’t have your thoughts in another place aside from proper right here and now,” he mentioned. “I’ve mentioned it so usually throughout this run: It’s a must to take pleasure in these moments. They do not come usually. There is no different thought in my thoughts proper now.”
When the postseason wraps up and Marchand turns his consideration to free company, the Panthers would seem to have a bonus to retain him. Not solely have the Panthers superior to the Stanley Cup Remaining for 3 straight seasons — and Marchand has praised the group’s professionalism behind the scenes — however Florida is considered one of six U.S.-based groups that haven’t any state revenue taxes. The Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Vegas Golden Knights have all gained Stanley Cups and have been to a number of Cup Finals since 2020. The Dallas Stars have made three straight Western Convention Finals.
Whereas different groups and their fan bases have protested about this benefit in a wage capped league, NHL deputy commissioner Invoice Daly lately mentioned the league and the gamers aren’t trying to tackle the difficulty of their subsequent Collective Bargaining Settlement.
“These imbalances have existed endlessly,” mentioned Daly. “There’s nothing new right here. There are such a lot of the reason why a participant can select to play in a selected location for a selected staff that don’t have anything to do with the tax scenario in that market. So I do not anticipate it is something we’ll tackle proactively as a part of this collective bargaining negotiation.”
Marchand indicated that, as a veteran participant, the native tax benefits will play into his free agent pondering.
“There are groups the place that completely issues. It does not matter for each participant, however whenever you’re coping with guys which have selection between a number of groups, it completely performs an element,” mentioned Marchand. “You probably have two groups which are providing the identical contract, you are going to choose the staff with much less tax.”
Marchand mentioned groups with out that revenue tax benefit usually must pay gamers extra, which impacts their cap area and their capability to keep up a profitable staff.
“Most contending groups do not have numerous cap area,” he mentioned. “Once you have a look at Canadian groups, most of them have a particularly excessive tax price. Then the California groups, similar factor. So these groups are going to must pay more cash to get sure gamers than others.”
Sport 3 is scheduled for Monday night time in Dawn.
