WILMINGTON — Brad Marchand remains unsigned, his contract demands privy only to himself, agent Wade Arnott, and GM Peter Chiarelli.
But even without a deal in place, Marchand was on the Ristuccia Arena ice this morning alongside 20 of his teammates as they prepare to defend the Stanley Cup.
“I’m anxious for it to be done,” Marchand said. “I just want to be here and be on the ice with the guys. That’s all I’m looking forward to.”
Marchand is a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract. Marchand projects to be the No. 2 left wing, riding shotgun with Patrice Bergeron. However, if Marchand can’t agree on an extension before camp starts, his spot could be in danger.
“I’m not thinking that far ahead right now,” said Marchand when asked about whether he might under contract before camp. “It’s just day-to-day. Hopefully it’s done before then.”
* Defensemen present for today’s session: Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg, Andrew Ference, Johnny Boychuk, Adam McQuaid, Steven Kampfer, Joe Corvo, Colby Cohen. Chara is reeling from the loss of neighbor and close friend Pavol Demitra, who was among the players aboard the Yaroslavl Lokomotiv flight. “Pavol was a guy who was always easy-going and always very friendly with everybody, never had conflicts with anybody,” said Chara, who also played for Brad McCrimmon when both were with the Islanders. “He was really a favorite and popular guy between other guys. We all know he was an extremely talented player. People probably don’t know how dedicated a dad he was, always spending time with his kids and family.”
* Forwards: Marchand, Tyler Seguin, David Krejci, Rich Peverley, Gregory Campbell, Shawn Thornton, Milan Lucic, Chris Kelly, Daniel Paille, Jamie Arniel, Max Sauve, Craig Cunningham.
* Michael Hutchinson was the only goalie.