Report: Maple Leafs, Ducks, among many teams courting Marleau
If Patrick Marleau chooses to play for a new team for the first time in his career this summer, he'll reportedly have plenty of options.
The San Jose Sharks winger - who's spent the entirety of his 19 NHL seasons with the club since being drafted second overall in 1997 - will be an unrestricted free agent as of July 1, and several teams are interested in his services, according to The Athletic's Craig Custance.
Custance listed the Toronto Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks, New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, Nashville Predators, and Los Angeles Kings as teams in the mix for the 37-year-old.
Marleau's longtime teammate Joe Thornton is also a pending UFA, and while both franchise icons expressed their desire to remain in San Jose after their first-round elimination by the Edmonton Oilers, both are drawing increased attention in the free-agent market.
Marleau will be 38 by the time the 2017-18 campaign begins, but can surely provide scoring depth wherever he ends up. In 82 games last season, he recorded 27 goals and 19 assists, and highlighted his campaign by reaching the 500-goal plateau in February.
HEADLINES
- Report: Caufield in doubt for USA's 4 Nations Face-Off roster
- Canucks' Joshua making season debut after testicular cancer surgery
- Malkin affirms desire to stay with Penguins amid rumored teardown
- Vejmelka powers Utah past Hurricanes with career-high 49 saves
- Kings' Kuemper leaves loss vs. Avalanche with apparent injury