Team is looking to lock up pesky forward as soon as possible.

If the Boston Bruins hope to maintain their air of being one of the hardest teams to play against, they must make a huge decision regarding one of their core players.

Very few players fit a team's mold like Brad Marchand does with the Boston Bruins, and general manager Don Sweeney wants to make sure the pesky winger remains with the club for some years to come.

Marchand's contract doesn't expire until 2017, but Sweeney plans to make an extension a priority this summer, along with re-signing key players such as Loui Eriksson and Torey Krug, who become unrestricted and restricted free agents respectively July 1.

"We're going to look at Brad right away ... early on here in the process once we get past that first wave in July," Sweeney said, according to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com. "We'll have some good discussions. We'd prefer that we're tracking on the earlier side of things. He's a big part of our hockey club."

Marchand has long been a integral member of the Bruins, winning the Stanley Cup in 2011 and chipping in at least 20 goals in every non-lockout season since.

The 28-year-old has developed chemistry playing with Bruins' franchise centerman Patrice Bergeron, and scored a career-high 37 goals this season, earning him a spot on Team Canada's World Championship and World Cup of Hockey roster.

Marchand has previously stated he'd be happy to remain in Boston, and with his production continuing to rise, he'll be due a raise from his current cap hit of $4.5 million.

Both sides can officially begin discussing an extension beginning July 1.

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Images Courtesy of Keystone Press