By: Jake Ferraro | Follow me on Twitter/X @18Jxxx18
The Boston Bruins need to have a busy 2026 offseason to upgrade their depth up front. David Pastrnak, Morgan Geekie, and Pavel Zacha each played an important part for the Bruins up front this season, but the team had up-and-down play from the rest of the forwards. The Bruins need a forward who can put up points and play physically, and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Mason Marchment was newly named as a potential suitor.
Four days ago, ESPN’s Ryan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton wrote an article together titled “NHL teams’ offseason keys, including free agency, draft needs.” When discussing the Bruins, they wrote that a key focus for the offseason is finding someone who can limit high-danger scoring chances, which hurt the Bruins in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Buffalo Sabres. Then, Marchment was named as a potential suitor for the Bruins to sign.
“Anyone the Bruins key on should bring the physical play style and strength the team got away from,” Clark and Shilton wrote. “A player like Mason Marchment, a pending UFA who can battle in the corners and score 20-plus goals, would make sense.”
Marchment has shown in his career that he can be relied on for underappreciated depth on a roster. In the 2021-22 season, Marchment recorded 47 points in 54 games with the Florida Panthers. In the 2022 offseason, Marchment signed a four-year contract with the Dallas Stars at an AAV of $4.5 million. After a disappointing 31-point season in the 2022-23 season, Marchment recorded career-highs of 53 points and 22 goals in the 2023-24 season. Marchment recorded 47 points and scored 22 goals again in the following 2024-25 season in Dallas, but was traded to the Seattle Kraken in the offseason.
This season was a battle for Marchment. After playing 29 games with the Kraken, Marchment was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Marchment then recorded 32 points in 39 games for the Blue Jackets and was an underappreciated player in the team’s late playoff push, despite not making it in the end. Despite not playing half the season in Columbus, Marchment’s 32 points were tied for the fifth-most on the roster, and his 15 goals were tied for the sixth-most. With the Kraken and Blue Jackets combined, Marchment recorded 45 points in 68 games this season.
Marchment also has a physical presence to complement his offense. Since the 2020-21 season, Marchment has recorded over 70 hits in each season, two of which have had over 100 hits. Marchment can also be used on the power play and penalty kill, and also fight if needed.
Marchment can be a realistic target for the Bruins, considering forward Viktor Arvidsson is a free agent this year, and after next season, forwards Casey Mittelstadt, Sean Kuraly, Michael Eyssimont, and Zacha are all free agents. There’s no guarantee the Bruins will re-sign any of those forwards, so signing Marchment to a lengthy contract is reasonable if any of them leave over the next two years. A three- or four-year contract for Marchment is fair, as he will turn 31 on June 18. Based on his production, Marchment’s AAV could be around the $4-5.5 million range. However, Marchment has some warning signs.
Marchment can be at the center of attention on the ice from opponents with a pugnacious attitude. At times, Marchment can take a bad penalty to cost his team. Arguably, the biggest factor is that Marchment has underperformed badly in the playoffs. In 59 career playoff games, Marchment has recorded 19 points. The last time Marchment played in the playoffs, he was a huge liability for the Stars. In the 2025 playoffs, Marchment recorded five points in 18 games, which included just one goal. Despite Marchment being a forward who can provide goal-scoring depth, he has never scored five goals in a playoff year in his career.
Overall, Marchment can be a player who upgrades the Bruins’ all-around depth with his point production and physical play. A fresh start in Boston worked for players like Zacha and Geekie, and it could be a place for Marchment to raise his game. However, Marchment does have warning signs the Bruins should watch for.
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