Marchand/By S. Bradley
Free agency opens at noon EST Friday, and the Bruins and rookie winger Brad Marchand’s representative are taking their time getting together on a new contract.
Marchand, who just completed his three-year entry level deal, will become a restricted free agent.
“I am sure we will have some discussion with the Bruins after free agency begins,” Marchand’s agent Wade Arnott told TheBruinsBlog.net today via email.
Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli echoed that sentiment during a conference call today.
“We qualified him and we haven’t entered into negotiations yet,” said the Bruins GM, who noted that he also tendered qualifying offers to Providence players Andrew Bodnarchuk (Marchand’s longtime buddy) and Stefan Chaput.
By issuing a qualifying offer, the Bruins retain the right of first refusal against an offer sheet from another team. Offer sheets are few and far between because of the compensation a team would have to fork over if the offer wasn’t matched. Chiarelli has said in the past he’s prepared to match any offer sheet.
The Bruins’ non-tenders who will become unrestricted free agents, according to CapGeek.com, are Matt Dalton, Cody Wild, Zack McKelvie, Boris Valabik and Juraj Simek.
Marchand put himself in a position for a healthy raise with 21 goals in the regular season and 11 more during the Bruins’ run to the Stanley Cup championship. The former third-round pick should see himself making north of $3 million heading into next season based on comparables.
I’m so glad Valabik is gone. I saw him in Providence and he is dreadful. Can’t skate, can’t shoot, terrible stick work, can hit but not very well because he can’t skate so he’s almost always taking himself out of position. He is big that’s it. As far as him learning from Chara I don’t think that was ever realistic.
Andrew – I wrote in an earlier post that I fully expect Yandle to position himself to hit the UFA market as soon as possible, unless he gets an offer from the right team that he can’t refuse.
Its a good rational assessment – wait until it only costs money and not picks as well. But I’m drooling ova hea!!
Bryan-
Hamill is still under contract. It’s some sort of quirk because of his late birthday.
MK
I would have liked to see Valabik back a year or two to see if he can learn anything from his countrymen Chara…oh well.
Also, any word on Hamil being tendered? Not like I want him to. Season ticket holder to Pbruins and he is dreadful.
PS. Sauve in the big leagues next year????
While I admittedly haven’t seen tons of P-Bruins games I think the only think you can say about Valabik is that he is big. He is mostly very, very slow. I just don’t think the Bruins saw much of a need for a very large pylon.
Bo, I totally get the Yandle fever around here as of late…an up and coming beast (and a local kid) stuck on a crappy team in the middle of the desert. I’d love to see him in Black&Gold, but would rather take the chance on him hitting real free agency in a couple of years.
As for Valabik, I’ve heard a lot of mixed reports. Maybe I’ve given his hockey shortcomings the benefit of the doubt up until now because of his imposing size. If so, that’s just lazy on my part. Anyhow, did he even log a shift with the PBruins? From what I remember, he came over and was almost immediately shelved due to injury.
I think Valabik is a rather large stiff.
Thanks for the Yandle / Goalie comments. I’m better. I can see clearly now…
Sorry to skip over the Yandle pipe dreams (trade one of our goalies, are you f#@*ing kidding me?!)… but ARE there any thoughts as to why Valabik wasn’t tendered?
Throwing up a large number to get him would cost draft picks. High draft picks. $1-3 mil would be a 2nd rounder, and the bruins would easily match an offer of that size, so that is out of the question. $3-4.5 would be a 1st and 3rd, which as good as Marchand is, would be too much to give up, and the bruins might still match that. Above that we start talking 1st, 2nd, 3rd or multiple 1sts. Ain’t gonna happen. I don’t see Marchand going anywhere.
Chris H. -
They would not onl have to throw up a pretty penny for Marchand, but they would also have to part with assorted draft picks for compensation since Marchand is a RFA; not to mention the Bruins have the right to match any offer given to Marchand.
I don’t understand why Bruins aren’t more proactive in locking up Marchand. Some team could easily throw up a large number to get him. The guy was money in the playoffs.
Bo,
It’s Yandle, and as I don’t see another young goalie in the works for Boston who could take over Rask’s coming job, I’d rather not. I think Thomas would veto that deal outright.
Ok – this doesn’t fit under the article heading, but let me pose a question that might put me under fire of sacrelige…. Yotes don’t have a goalie. Bs trade Thomas (..or Rask is an option too) for the rights to Yandel. Of course there would need to be sweeteners, but what do folks think about such a proposition?
Surprised that we didn’t reup Valabik for at least another year.
His excellent PK work will give him a nice bump as well