It was quite hard to see the Toronto Maple Leafs players dealing with the loss of veteran forward Patrick Marleau in 2019 when he was moved to the Carolina Hurricanes, to go back to the San Jose Sharks and then get traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He finally signed back in San Jose as a free agent in October 2020, but remains beloved in the Toronto’s dressing room.
That’s why there are murmurs that the Leafs could look at the possibility of getting him back for the postseason.
While the 41-year-old revealed that he won’t be seeking a trade ahead of the April 12 deadline, he isn’t closing the door on a move should a contender come calling.
“I wouldn’t actively maybe look for it, but if it does happen or it does come, or a team wants me, that’s something you have to seriously consider,” Marleau told Kevin Kurz of The Athletic. “Obviously, that’s still my goal, to win a Stanley Cup. It would definitely be something to consider.”
We all know how the Maple Leafs are going all out this season, and we understand if Marleau would like to get their call.
Marleau has one goal and five points in 29 games this season with the Sharks. He posted 11 goals and 22 points in 66 games with the Sharks and Penguins last season. He is still chasing his first Stanley Cup, having lost in the final with the Sharks to the Penguins in 2016, and would love to make that happen before hanging up the skates.
We know it won’t happen this year with the Sharks as they are currently on pace to miss the playoffs for the second straight season, with general manager Doug Wilson stating the team is in a “reset.”
“It’s tough to swallow,” Marleau said to Kurz. “Coming into the season, you always have high expectations and hopes, and you want to get off to a good start and put yourself in position for playoffs, and getting into them and giving yourself a chance to win. But we haven’t put ourselves in that position as of yet. Obviously, there’s a business side to things, as well. But, yeah, it’s obviously not where anybody wants to be.”
The Leafs have already three veteran players, Wayned Simmonds, Jason Spezza and Marleau’s best bud Joe Thornton, to boost the leadership in the room, we wonder if they would accept to get more. However, Marleau had a way to play with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner that could have GM Kyle Dubas thinking.
Let’s see what happens next.
