After a standout rookie year in which he scored 21 goals and added 21 assists in addition to bringing a glut of intangibles that just can't be quantified on any stat sheets, Brad Marchand still doesn't have a contract.
Not that he - or Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli - are concerned.
DJ Bean over at WEEI reports that the B's and their gritty, annoying, pesky-as-hell winger are still talking about a contract.
Marchand, 23, is a restricted free agent and the Bruins were sure to qualify him before the July 1st deadline, meaning that they can match any offer sheet that another team extends to him or they'll be compensated in draft picks for his loss.
But the Bruins won't be losing Marchand. He simply means too much to a team that prides itself on grit and thrives with players who aren't afraid to get into the dirty areas.
"We’ve continued to talk," Chiarelli said. "We’ve had some discussion, and we’ll leave it at that."