It is pretty rare that a 42-goal scorer is not resigned by his team before free agency. It's probably even rarer that the player also led them to a Stanley Cup victory, was named the Conn Smythe award winner, and is the franchise leader in goals and points.
The Vegas Golden Knights decided that it was time to move on from Jonathan Marchessault, and the Nashville Predators quickly stepped in with a 5 year $27.5 million dollar deal. At an AAV of $5.5 million he's now among one of the highest paid players on the team and the expectations are that he'll be able to continue to produce through the length of the contract. That is an optimistic goal, but for at least this year, the expectations for Marchessault are going to be very high.
Last Year
At the age of 33, Marchessault had his best goal-scoring season, eclipsing the 40-goal mark with 42. He also added 27 assists for a total of 69 points. It was his 2nd highest-scoring season ever, and one in which he also set high totals for hits, shooting % and even strength goals.
He led his team in goals and points and was the only big offensive talent to remain healthy the whole season. He also added 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) in the 7 playoff games they played from last season. In total over his 102-game playoff career, he has 76 points (36 goals and 40 assists) and has excelled in the playoffs.
There have been many thoughts bandied about as to why the Golden Knights would let Marchessault go. Some say they team had to get younger, and in order to keep some higher priced players Marchessault had to go. Others say contract dispute. We can only go off of what the player himself says which was...
""I thought I was going to be there for the rest of my career. I talked to George [McPhee, president of hockey operations] and Kelly. I told them I like the whole situation, how I see the organization. They didn’t believe in me for the remainder of my career. It was a little disappointing, but at the same time, I don’t hold grudges. I’ve been part of that organization for seven years. It’s water under the bridge. We move on. To give them credit, they always want to win. It’s a tough business. Hopefully, it pays off for them in the long run. The future will tell us who is right.”"Jonathan Marchessault
This Season
Marchessault has a very visable chip on his shoulder. He'll get a chance to make an impact and a chance to play on a line with former teammate Steven Stamkos, who was among the first to talk to Marchessault on free agency signing day.
The upbeat style of play and offensive philosophy brought on by Andrew Brunette completely fit the game that Marchessault brings to the ice. He moves well, looks for transition offense, and shoots the puck with reckless abandon. If he gels with Stamkos and whoever is lucky enough to join them on the opposite wing, they could make up one of the best, if not the best 2nd lines in all of hockey.
The signing of Marchessault gives the Predators much-needed depth scoring and adds to their top-end talent simultaneously. There will be frustrating moments of defensive irresponsibility, and the cold streaks will be very noticeable, but Marchessault's playoff prowess and scoring ability should provide the Predators with a lethal bite on offense that they missed last year.