Brad Marchand signs a long-term deal to stay with the Florida Panthers

Hot on the heels of re-signing defenseman Aaron Ekblad to an 8 year contract extension, there are reports that the Florida Panthers have re-signed pending UFA Brad Marchand to a six year contract worth $5.3 million.

From NHL insisder Elliotte Friedman:

TSN insider Pierre LeBrun reports that Marchand's new deal is heavily front-loaded with just a $1 million annual base salary. This means that when the deal is nearing completion in years five and six that Marchand won't be due nearly as much in actual money, while his cap hit remains the same. This can be valuable for bottom-feeding teams that are looking to inflate their cap commitments without having to pay the full amount.

It's also worth noting that Marchand's new contract will take him until he's 43 years old... yeesh.

Not gonna lie though, with Marchand at $5.3 million, Sam Bennett at $8 million and Aaron Ekblad at $6.1 million per season, GM Bill Zito has pulled off a hat trick of excellent signings just ahead of free agency. The Panthers' run for a three-peat next season is looking mighty fine right about now.