Should Wild Sign Brad Marchand This Offseason? – Wilderness Walk

The Minnesota Wild are going to have some money to play with this summer. More specifically, approximately $15.75 million in cap space with just restricted free agents Marco Rossi and Declan Chisholm needing new contracts. So, what if they went out to get someone who is redefining the age curve? What if the Wild signed Brad Marchand?

On its face, it feels improbable. Why would a player like Marchand, who is going to most likely sign his final NHL contract this summer, put pen to paper to be a Wild player? The 37-year-old winger has been underpaid for almost his entire career, having signed his long-term contract with the Boston Bruins so long ago, turning it into bargain for several years. He should want to cash in and considering he is going on a playoff run that puts him in competition for the Conn Smythe, he should be able to.

So, it seems like Marchand will go to whatever team offers him the most money — it feels as simple as that. And Marchand would bring a dynamic to the Wild that is missing. Someone that is in the middle six, that can be an extreme pest and get under the skin of the opposing team.

Signing Marchand doesn’t fix the second-line center issue (if the Wild decide to trade Rossi) but he would provide some high-end entertainment and all the Wild would need to do is offer the most money. What else are they going to use that money on? Kirill Kaprizov? Sure, whatever.

• Could the Bruins offer the most competitive offer for Rossi? They don’t want to rebuild and there is a very recent trade history between these two teams. [Hockey Wilderness]
• Where would Rossi go in a re-draft of the 2020 NHL Draft? [Hockey Wilderness]
• An NHL insider recently suggested that Kaprizov’s contract extension could make him the highest paid player in the NHL. [BMTN]

Off the trail…

• How Sam Bennett has transformed into a potential Conn Smythe winner. [ESPN]
• To even stand a chance to come back in the Stanley Cup Final, the Edmonton Oilers need to fix something on their special teams. [NHL.com]
• The New York Rangers are apparently sending Chris Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks. The veteran winger will help the young team reach a higher level, but it certainly feels like the Ducks are helping the Rangers offload yet another bad contract. [Daily Faceoff]

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