Panthers' Marchand Could Sign For Big Money In Free Agency

Brad Marchand has had a cap hit of $6.125 million AAV for the past eight years and he is in the final year of his contract. Many teams would love to have him even though everyone hates playing against him. He's now 37 years old, but his production is still solid despite a drop-off this season, partly because the Boston Bruins weren't good.

According to Chris Johnston, Marchand will likely have some teams willing to offer him $8 million AAV this summer if he makes it to free agency. I don't think there is a high chance that the Florida Panthers are able to re-sign him.

The cap is finally rising by a good amount next season and even though Marchand is late in his career, his style of play is great at all times and his level of play is still high. The veteran still scored 23 goals and 51 points in 71 games, but it was down from his 29 goals and 67 points in 82 games the year prior.

If Brock Nelson was given $7.5 million AAV for three years and Marchand is a more impactful player, I definitely agree with Johnston in his statement. Lots of teams will have quite a bit of cap space to offer select free agents since the free agent class isn't very good. Marchand will likely only sign for 2-3 years and then see what happens after that.

Marchand has won the Stanley Cup before with the Boston Bruins, so he isn't chasing that before he retires. But even though he already has one, that doesn't stop players from wanting more. He might not go with a team that offers him the most money, but it all depends on what's available for him. There will be options to choose from on July 1.