On Friday’s episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Utah Mammoth and a few other teams are in on Conn Smythe Trophy runner-up Brad Marchand.

Does that kind of signing make sense for both the Mammoth and Marchand? Let’s find out.

Age is just a number

By age 37, most NHL players are starting to wind down. The lucky ones might be able to find one-year, league-minimum deals, but most have already hung up the skates. Rarely are they ever looking for the biggest AAV of their entire careers at that age, but that’s where Marchand is at.

With six goals in the Stanley Cup Final and 20 points throughout the playoffs, Marchand has a lot left in the tank.

And it’s not just about the counting stats. He drags his team into the fight, night in and night out. He’s one of the most effective agitators the league has ever seen, and while his antics often get him suspended, they more often result in retaliation penalties in his team’s favor.

He has only missed the playoffs twice in his 16-year career, and he was a major part of the best regular season team in NHL history: the 2022-23 Boston Bruins.

How much money is Brad Marchand asking for?

Before the Stanley Cup Final, Friedman reported that Marchand was looking for a three-year deal worth $8 million annually, give or take. Now, he’s saying it will be even higher.

He likely feels a bit left out. In 2017, he inked an eight-year deal worth $6.125 million, and then proceeded to wildly outplay that number — even having a 100-point season once. It’s not that he’s hurting for money, but he’s spent nearly a decade watching his comparable peers earn a lot more than him, and now he’s in a position to ask for a slice of that pie.

Do the Utah Mammoth have cap space for Brad Marchand?

Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong has repeatedly said he doesn’t want to get sucked into long-term deals that will hurt the team in the long run. Marchand seems to be looking for about a three-year deal, so regardless of whether it works out, the contract should be up by the time the Mammoth’s Cup-contending window opens.

According to PuckPedia, the Mammoth have $20,357,143 in cap space, with nearly all their business already taken care of. They’ll need to leave some of that open for Logan Cooley’s contract extension next year, but spending a bit of it on an elite veteran wouldn’t cut too much into that space.

Would Brad Marchand be a good fit with the Utah Mammoth?

In the locker room, Marchand brings a blend of seriousness and levity. Utah could have used a bit more of the latter last year. Their leadership group is comprised almost entirely of no-nonsense individuals — which can be great — but sometimes you need someone to keep things fun.

On the ice, the Mammoth’s greatest need is a top-six forward. That’s exactly what Marchand is.

Utah came up seven points short of the playoffs, and they had the third-most overtime losses in the league. A handful of extra goals here and there would have brought playoff hockey to the Delta Center, and a player like Brad Marchand can provide those extra goals.

Of course, Utah’s top six is full of relatively small bodies, and 5-foot-9 Marchand wouldn’t help in that regard. But the way he plays the game, he might as well be 6-foot-3. He’s always looking to make big hits and get under opponents’ skin.

Marchand also brings the type of championship pedigree that Utah’s management loves. He’s won the Stanley Cup twice, the QMJHL championship once and five gold medals at various international tournaments. He’s also a two-time first-team all-star and a two-time second-team all-star.

Players that have won before know the kinds of things championship teams do. Having been to four Stanley Cup Finals and won with two different teams, Marchand is well-versed in that area.

On Marchand’s end, Salt Lake City could be an advantageous spot to be. It’s a notoriously family-friendly place, which is an important factor for someone with two young daughters and a teenage stepson. His family didn’t move to Florida with him when he was traded there at the trade deadline, but that might change once he finds a more permanent home.

And if Matias Maccelli is on his way out, number 63 will be open for Mammoth’s potential new star.

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