Babcock not concerned with Marleau's age: 'Have you seen him skate?'
The Toronto Maple Leafs made a big splash on the free-agent market Sunday, signing veteran Patrick Marleau to a three-year deal with an annual average value of $6.25 million.
At 37 years old, the Leafs clearly feel that Marleau has a lot left in the tank. According to head coach Mike Babcock, that has a lot to do with they way the veteran can still move on the ice.
"Even if he doesn't score goals, he can skate," Babcock said, as reported by Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com. "He can play against the best people and do it right every single night." "... Have you seen him skate?"
Related: Maple Leafs sign Marleau to 3-year deal
Regardless of his age, Marleau's numbers indicate one thing: The guy can still put the puck in the back of the net.
Since entering the league in 1997, Marleau has totaled 508 goals and 574 assists in 1,493 career regular-season games - good enough for fifth on the active scoring list.
By the time the puck drops on the 2017-18 season, Marleau will be 38. But according to Babcock, that shouldn't be an issue, per Cotsonika: "I think (Toronto) will be a fountain of youth for him."