Reports suggest that Patrick Marleau’s return to the Bay Area is unlikely to happen at this time. What does this mean for the San Jose Sharks?
After a summer filled with questions surrounding a possible reunion with Patrick Marleau. Reports surfaced today that the San Jose Sharks are not planning on bringing back the veteran forward for the start of the 2019 – 2020 season.
The 39-year-old would be entering his 22nd season in the NHL and all signs point to him wanting to continue his career in professional hockey. Marleau compiled 37 points for the Toronto Maple Leafs last year struggling to fit in a line-up filled with fast paced skaters.
Marleau was entering the final year of his contract with the Leafs only to be traded on day two of the 2019 NHL Draft to the Carolina Hurricanes. Shortly after this the remaining year of his deal got bought out making him an unrestricted free agent.
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The news released by Elliotte Friedman breaks up a relatively quiet start of September for the San Jose Sharks.
With this information it appears that San Jose will be leaning on some of their prospects to fill the void up front. Skaters like Ivan Chekhovich, Sasha Chmelevski, Noah Gregor, Joachim Blichfeld, and others will get a opportunity to earn minutes on the big club.
The return of Marleau is a polarizing topic among Sharks fans, but with this recent update it’s time to shift our focus to the Rookie Showcase on Sept. 7th – 10th. Considering it is likely that one of these skaters will be making the team and playing a big role in 2019 – 2020.
It’s bittersweet to hear that Marleau isn’t coming back to play for the Sharks this season at this time. However Team Teal has a ton of players to get excited about within the organization. Keep an eye out for one of these talented forwards emerge during the Rookie Showcase and into training camp.