One of the more pleasant surprises in the NHL from this past season has found a new home.
After all reports seemed to indicate that the Carolina Hurricanes were the presumptive favorite, the Dallas Stars came out of the woodwork at the last minute to sign Mason Marchment, agreeing to terms on a four-year contract with the forward worth an average annual value of $4.5 million.
The details of the deal, which now ties Marchment to Dallas through the 2025-26 season, such as its salary structure and inclusion of any trade protection have yet to be released.
Marchment broke out in a big way for the Florida Panthers last season after spending his early career with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 54 games in 2021-22, Marchment racked up an impressive 18 goals and 47 points in just 54 games on a stacked Panthers squad, logging a smidge over 14 minutes per night and developing as a penalty killer, as well.
With a cap crunch taking place in Florida, it was unlikely that the Panthers would have managed to find the room to pay Marchment what he was worth on the open market. Losing the 27-year-old is a tough pill to swallow, no doubt, but with the offensive assets still on the roster, the Panthers should be able to remain in the Atlantic Division hunt moving forward.
Joining the Stars now, Marchment will give Dallas some offensive depth that they sorely need moving forward after relying on their top line for practically all of their scoring last season.
For a player who went undrafted and worked his way up from the ECHL, it’s a nice accomplishment to see.
