NHL Notebook: Why Mason Marchment should be worth a look for Bruins in free agency

The dust has settled from the 2022 NHL Draft as 32 franchises depart Montreal, but the work is just getting started for Don Sweeney and the Bruins.

Next week is going to be bedlam for the B’s front office, who are set to …

• Introduce new bench boss Jim Montgomery at TD Garden on Monday...
• Usher in a new crop of young talent during their five-day Development Camp...
• … oh, and also try to add to this roster during the feeding frenzy that is the start of free agency on Wednesday. 

Add in the need for some definitive clarity on the futures of both Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, and the foundations for the 2022-23 Bruins season could be set in place within the span of just a few days. 

Unlike last summer (when the B’s entered free agency with over $20 million in cap space) the task of adding to this roster is a far more daunting endeavor for Sweeney — a consequence of his own doing.

After doling out contracts to the likes of Linus Ullmark ($5 million AAV), Nick Foligno ($3.8 million),  Derek Forbort ($3 million), Erik Haula ($2.375 million) and Tomas Nosek ($1.75 million) in free agency — coupled with retaining regulars like Taylor Hall ($6 million AAV), Mike Reilly ($3 million) and Brandon Carlo ($4.1 million), the Bruins don’t necessarily have a lot of fiscal wiggle room this offseason.

Sure, not every signing last summer was a dud for the Bruins (and the ones that haven’t panned out … we’ve already discussed at length). But if the Bruins are going to inject more talent into this team through free agency, Sweeney and Co. will have to get creative — given that they only have around $2.4 million in cap room right now (per CapFriendly), and that’s before any potential Bergeron contract is inked.

Perhaps the Bruins don’t have the wherewithal to sign anyone other than Bergeron and … maybe a cheap depth add? If so … yikes.

But, for the sake of this exercise … let’s say that the Bruins enter the start of free agency with an extra $4-5 million or so in cap room — an attainable goal for Boston if it was to say, deal a spare D-man like Reilly, move a fair contract like Haula/Craig Smith or buy out Foligno’s contract.

Yes, not enough to add three or four players in a spending spree next week, but perhaps enough to add a useful middle-six cog or some reinforcements on the blue line. 

So, IF the Bruins do create some cap room between now and then, who could they be targeting? 

Of course, if Boston had heaps of cash on hand, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if the B’s were willing to open up their checkbook for a top-six pivot like Nazem Kadri, who very well could command a contract worth between $8-10 million per year.

Given those high costs (and the amount of in-house deconstruction that would need to be undertaken to free up that much cap room), the B’s are likely hoping that Krejci is willing to return, and for an affordable, short-term deal. 

IF Boston can resolve its issues down the middle with 37 + 46, the most pressing need (at least for this season) likely lies further down on the forward depth chart.

And if Boston is on the prowl for an affordable pickup that could net some serious returns, it should be setting its sights on a late bloomer like Mason Marchment.

Why Marchment over perhaps another middle-six winger like a Rickard Rakell or Nino Niederreiter? 

Stop if you’ve heard this before … but the Bruins would ideally like to draw more secondary scoring out of their roster. 

And based on Cam Neely’s comments to the media back in May, it’s clear that the Bruins want to focus more on fighting inside to Grade-A ice in 2022-23.

"You’re always analyzing and dissecting your club, throughout the whole year really,” Neely said. “But the playoffs certainly gave me some indication that we’ve got to do a little better job of getting inside the dots. Maybe not try to have such a rush mentality. I thought we were getting a little stubborn at times, turning pucks over the blue line, whether it was an entry on the power play or 5-on-5. 

"I think at times, you’ve got to take what’s given to you and sometimes you’ve got to dump it in and go get it and grind it out.”

Of course, when it comes to fighting into that valuable real estate down low and grinding things out, that doesn’t always mean that you need to go out and add a big body like a Nick Ritchie — at least not in today’s NHL.

Rather, when it comes to souping up their roster ahead of the war of attrition that is playoff hockey, NHL clubs are now placing a premium on aggressive wingers that are at their best when they’re relentlessly pursuing the puck.

That mix of motor and size is a rare commodity and it’s exactly why players like Valeri Nichushkin always seem to shine when hockey turns its calendar to May and June.

Of course, the Bruins could be one of the many teams in on Nichushkin this summer. But after a fantastic Cup run with the Avs, the Russian winger is going to cost a pretty penny. So instead of throwing money at a fleet-footed forechecker like Nichushkin, the Bruins should be focused more on finding the NEXT Nichushkin.

As such, a guy with a smaller sample size like Marchment might be worth a look. 

After bouncing around in the AHL (130 career games) and offering so-so returns in previous stints in the NHL (10 points in 33 games with Florida in 2020-21), Marchment broke out in a major way for the Panthers last season — posting 47 points (18 goals, 29 assists) in just 54 games.

That’s a 71-point pace over the span of a full season — a feat even more impressive considering that Marchment did most of his damage on the third line of a deep Florida depth chart and with little in terms of power-play reps (0:52 of PP ice time per game). 

Marchment's impressive scoring totals further down the lineup will certainly put him on the radar of many teams looking for more middle-six production, but Marchment was also far from just an empty-calorie scorer — complimenting a line usually anchored by Sam Reinhart by way of recovering loose pucks, forcing turnovers and wreaking havoc with his straight-line speed and forechecking capabilities.

That type of player would be a fantastic fit on a team like Boston, be it next to Patrice Bergeron/Brad Marchand on the top line or even next to Charlie Coyle on a third line that went through far too many lulls last season.

In some respects, Marchment reminds me of Michael Bunting: a strong forechecker who came out of nowhere for Arizona in 2020-21 … and promptly rewarded the Maple Leafs by nearly winning the Calder Trophy as a 26-year-old “rookie” in 2021-22. 

Now, for every Bunting, you also run the risk of getting swept up by a player who is simply a flash in the pan, or had some major puck luck fall their way ahead of a profitable summer.

The Bruins were burned by a power forward UFA when they inked Matt Beleskey to a five-year, $19 million contract in 2015 — a few months removed from the winger scoring 22 goals in 65 games for the Ducks. 

(Beleskey ultimately only scored 18 goals in 143 games in a B’s sweater.)

Granted, you could push back on any correlation between Beleskey and Marchment by harping on the fact that Beleskey’s numbers were inflated in 2014-15 due to a heaping portion of minutes in Anaheim’s top-six unit — coupled with an unsustainable scoring salvo in the postseason (eight goals in 16 playoff outings in 2015). Meanwhile, Marchment was doing damage further down on the depth chart for Florida.

Still, any potential UFA with a small sample size offers plenty of risk, especially for a team like Boston that is apparently trying to make the most of whatever small window they have left to contend.

But if Boston does have some fiscal wiggle room in place by next week, targeting a potential breakout candidate in Marchment could be a risk worth taking.

Sweeney talks potential Pastrnak extension, assistant coaches & more at NHL Draft

Don Sweeney and the B’s primary objective up in Montreal this past week was to add to their prospect pipeline, of course.

But in one of the first major gatherings of front-office personnel, league officials and agents since the COVID pandemic began, the B’s top brass also made it a focus to start laying the foundation on some future moves — headlined by a potential contract extension for David Pastrnak.

After Neely acknowledged on Wednesday that Sweeney was planning on meeting with Pastrnak’s representatives in J.P. Barry and Ales Volek, the B’s GM confirmed that said meet-up did take place — although no tangible numbers were tossed around in terms of a new contract. 

“Our meeting with JP went well and they’re going to talk to David and attack it as soon as we can,” Sweeney said. “They know the position the organization is in and how aggressive we’d like to be. David has a say in that obviously, so you hope the two things align. And you move forward in an aggressive manner. You’re right, he’s a big part of the Boston Bruins. … .We’re just talking and being aggressive and saying we’d like David to be a lifelong Bruins. Strongly indicated to him we’d like him to be a lifelong Bruin.”

Of course, with Pastrnak not hitting free agency until next summer, the Bruins weren’t necessarily setting any deadline when it came to these contract talks (although if the winger expressed an interest in going to market, you do wonder if Boston would have fielded offers for him during this draft).

Still, if reaching out now and starting to get the dialogue going on a new contract leads to a deal in place later this summer or even around the start of training camp, it would alleviate a serious headache for Sweeney and the Bruins down the road.

After all, the last thing this team wants is a season-long narrative involving Pastrnak’s pending UFA payday in 2023 — especially if this banged-up roster is treading water in the early months of the season. 

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In terms of any updates on both Bergeron and David Krejci? Not much to report back from Sweeney’s latest presser.

"No [changes], not from the other day," Sweeney said of Bergeron. "As I said, he's going through rehab, he's back training. He indicated in a positive manner - Patrice should be the one to make that statement if he decides to. He's made real good indications to us that he's trying to do it in the right manner, but until he makes a decision, we'll wait."

As for Krejci?

"David is a little more of a wait and see where communication lies, where Patrice is just a cut and dry decision. Won't be an issue with the contract I believe," Sweeney said. "Krech is just deciding with his family what's best for him, but there's been a positive indication. It just hasn't gotten to the point where I'm comfortable to say if it's going to happen."

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As for the B’s coaching staff, Sweeney did confirm that the three remaining assistants from Bruce Cassidy's tenure that are under contract are expected to return under Montgomery — with assistant coaches Chris Kelly, Joe Sacco and goalie coach Bob Essensa slated to remain in place.

"Monty has had really good discussions with all three of them and I think those are in a really good place," Sweeney said. "Those indications are that they'll be a part of our staff and Monty is excited about it…he's excited to work with them, and they are as well. Kells and Joe and Bob have all indicated that their discussions have gone well."

Meanwhile, the process of finding another coach to replace Kevin Dean remains ongoing. 

"Monty has been doing a lot of work connecting with the players individually," Sweeney said. "Several conversations there, but he's interviewing currently some coaches that are obviously tilted towards Kevin Dean departing. He's doing a good job checking off the boxes that I think are important for him and what he is going to be comfortable with.

"I'll follow up when I get back on the individuals he's already gone through, at least one, if not two, rounds with. And hopefully we will have a decision shortly that we will be adding to our staff."

OTHER NOTES FROM A BUSY WEEK IN NHL

In regards to Mason Marchment, our condolences to him and the entire Marchment family — as their patriarch, Bryan Marchment, passed away suddenly on Wednesday in Montreal at the age of 53.

Bryan Marchment, the longtime NHL defenseman who logged 17 seasons in the NHL, had served in the San Jose Sharks scouting department since 2007. 

Ahead of the Sharks’ first-round pick on Thursday, new Sharks GM Mike Grier offered a touching tribute to his former teammate and longtime friend. 

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The Bruins might be operating with the expectation that they can tread water in October/November and remain in the playoff race, but the competition in the Atlantic Division is going to be even more cutthroat this upcoming season.

While the Bruins are well aware of the uphill climb that awaits when it comes to battling the likes of Tampa Bay, Toronto and Florida, don’t overlook the gains that young teams like the Senators and Red Wings could make this year. 

Already boasting young talent like Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Josh Norris and more,  both the Wings and Sens bolstered their respective lineups with some proven talent during the draft — with Ottawa dealing for 40-goal scorer Alex DeBrincat and Detroit snatching pending UFA goalie Ville Husso from the Blues. 

Are the Wings/Sens poised to leapfrog over the B’s in the standings? Perhaps not this year. But if the Bruins are looking for a few tomato cans on the schedule to help keep them afloat in the early going, they may not find any semblance of a reprieve when matched up against the rest of the Atlantic. 

Stats and graphs via Natural Stat Trick and JFreshHockey.