Forget about those trade rumors that have dogged San Jose Sharks captain Patrick Marleau since the spring. He’s not going anywhere.
The San Jose Sharks announced they’ve re-signed Marleau to a two-year contract extension worth $6.3 million per season, starting in the 2008-09 season.
Since the Sharks disappointing second round exit from the 2007 playoffs there’s been plenty of internet and media speculation that Marleau might be traded. Adding fuel to the fire was Marleau’s supposedly contentious relationship with head coach Ron Wilson plus the fact Marleau was eligible for unrestricted free agency next July.
General manager Doug Wilson steadfastly maintained he wasn’t shopping Marleau and had every intention of re-signing him, and true to his word Wilson got the job done.
Earlier this summer the Sharks GM also re-signed his number one center and leading scorer in Joe Thornton, like Marleau also eligible for UFA status next summer.
Both moves were masterstrokes by Wilson, locking up his two best centers a year before their UFA eligibility and thus avoiding potentially troublesome contract negotiations throughout the second half of the upcoming season and into the playoffs.
Wilson's obviously a good student, having seen what happened to the Buffalo Sabres, as they lost their top two centers in Daniel Briere and Chris Drury this summer to free agency.
He also avoided the possibility of paying far more to retain those two, since the upcoming season was bound to drive up their already expensive value. It’s a safe assumption that Thornton would’ve easily landed $9-$10 million per season and Marleau $7-$8 million per in next summer’s UFA market.
Equally impressive is the fact both players wanted to remain with the Sharks rather than test next summer’s market where they would’ve been among the most pursued free agents.
It ain’t just the California lifestyle that suits Thornton and Marleau. The Sharks are a very powerful team, one of the best not just in the Western Conference but in the entire league, and are considered by observers to be a legitimate contender for the Stanley Cup.
Marleau and Thornton both want that chance to play for a Cup winner, and they’ve obviously decided their best chance is with the Sharks.
I am very happy to have the captain signed for a few more years. Its good to see someone develop and grow with the same team. Now if (Doug) Wilson can find us a character guy/leader who can tutor Marleau further on being a captain, and bring in the "killer instinct" to the locker room, we can finally contend with the rest of the wild wild west.
Last edited by AlamoSharkie on August 31st at 11:40 AM.
Finally they signed him! I was waiting in anticipation this whole time wondering when he would be signed. I would've liked it to be longer, but for now two years is fine.
AlamoSharkie- I think the Sharks are one of the better teams in the west, and Marleau is a fine Captain. Who were you thinking of to bring "killer instinct" into the locker room/tutor Marleau on being a captain.
With both Thorton and Marleau both 28 and signed for 3&4 seasons Sharks are prime to make a sold cup run. Mark my word at least 2 cups durning the next 4 years.
The only thing that keep them last year from facing the Ducks in the West final was a little more hart and toughness on D.
heh 6.3 million a season? I'd so take him over Drury or Gomez even if he had signed for 8 mill a season. Obviously the Skarks' union rep isn't doing his job. Good job Doug Wilson for getting this done at a price that doesn't make it impossible for his team to aquire other players.
Thadd you'd really take him over Drury and Gomez??? Both those players are much better two-way players where as Marleau's talent resides more towards the offensive part of the game.
No way Marleau is a better all-around player than Drury, and it's a coin flip between him and Gomez, although Gomez takes it because he actually shows up after Game #82.
Marleau will definitely help get the Sharks to the post-season, but over the past several years he's proved repeatedly that he'll do absolutely squat during it. For that reason alone, I don't think I'd have paid $6.3M for him, but he is a very good 2nd line center during the regular season who is now locked up, so there is value in that alone. But don't kid yourself: if Sather offered Drury to Wilson straight up for Marleau, Wilson (who wants to win the Cup and not just qualify to play for it) wouldn't be able to fax the trade papers to the NHL head office fast enough.
StanMan-Have you ever even seen Marleau in the playoffs, he's the Sharks best player. He had one bad playoff performance last year, and everyone is on him for it. He averages .685 points per game in the regular season, and .699 points in the post season. I would take him over Gomez or Drury any day.
I would definately take Marleau over Gomez or Drury. He's three younger than Drury and with more offensive flair. He's got more career points than Gomez (same age).
As for poor playoff performances, he had one bad series and he's being branded as a playoff dropout. that's bogus. The year prior he was the sharks best playoff performer, and he will be again.
No matter the opinions on who is better Marleau, Drury, or Gomez: there is no denying that Sharks are well poised to make some serious cup runs over the next 3-4 years.
I would take Marleau over Gomez or Briere. But Not Drury.
LGB,
I know how you feel about your guys but I see Marleau play in person 5 times a season and let me tell you. There is no better player without the puck in the NHL
After he dishes the puck off he moves to to an open space and takes 2 defenders with him drapped on his back.
Gomez and Briere would skate to a corner not to the net.
I would take Drury because he puts up about the same points but plays both ends a little better.
Marleau's #'s would be better if Joe was not on the team but also Joe takes a ton of pressure of Patrick and vise versa
BUt LGB
to sume it up there is not a team in the NHL that would not love to have any of the 3 on there roster and if they did not there insane. Well Dean Lombardi would only wany PAtrick being an ex shark
It's been brought up before, and I agree..Marleau's value to the Sharks goes beyond point production, and both he and Thornton possess the qualities you want in your on-ice leadership core. I totally agree on the playoffs; one bad postseason does not a career make, and I think the guy is absolutely clutch. Trading him or letting him go elsewhere would have been a terrible PR move and they never would have gotten the better of the deal. This was smart, smart, smart..and the money's right. Clearly Wilson has been paying attention to the marketplace.
I think it would be easier to name teams he wouldn't be a number 1 center.
Flyers
Senators
Tampa Bay
Detriot
Rangers
Vancouver (maybe)
Pittsburg
Carolina
Colorado
Toronto (maybe)
Sharkfan, you're right that Marleau had a bad playoff last year. And Senator Craig had a bad week last week. I don't recall the exact stat, but at some point in last year's series against the Wings, Marleau had gone more than 6 straight periods without even registering a shot on goal. The man was invisible (he had 3 goals in 11 games and was -5) with Detroit's defence keying on Thornton's line. That's just sad. He did have an OK playoff series against Edmonton in 2006, but in 2004 he was no better than average against the Flames (and that's as a 7 year veteran and the team leader).
The playoffs are where it counts and although his playoff PPG average is slightly higher, he hasn't shown that his tenacity and drive are at the same level as his talent come playoff time. (That last sentence could apply to Thornton as well.)
That said, I like the Sharks and think Wilson has done a great job. Other than my Flames they would be one of the few teams I would like to see win it all next year. But they won't unless Marleau and Thornton play up to the level of their salaries in the playoffs.
Look at one of my other posts on this thread StanMan. Marleau's point per game average is higher in the playoffs than in the regular season. .699 points per game in the playoffs is great. Not to mention he had a 7 points after the 1st round against Nashville 2 years ago, and had a hat trick in one of those games. He plays strong in the regular season, and looking at the stats, plays better in the playoffs,.14 points per game better. As for Thornton, he had 11 points in 11 games in last year's post season. He's doing fine, the rest of the team, like Cheechoo, needs to step up a bit.
Sharkfan, look at my post above: I acknowledged the point you made in your other post when I said that Marleau's "playoff PPG is slightly higher". I just don't think that .699 PPG in the playoffs and less in the regular season is worth $6.3M. For that money a forward should be over 1.0 PPG in the regular season (which Marleau has been the past two years) and at least that high in the playoffs (which he hasn't been) where a player's grit and leadership are as important as his hands.
If $6.3 is overpaying for Marleau, how is over $7 million not overpaying for Drury and Gomez. And sorry about the PPG repeat, I miss took it for power play goals for some reason. I need more sleep.
Last edited by sharkfan99 on September 1st at 5:35 PM.
Point taken -- they're overpaid too. So maybe Wilson doesn't jump quite as fast at a "Drury for Marleau" trade as I said he would in my first post, but based on recent playoff performances alone I think he'd be tempted.
I will say this about Marleau: he could have pulled a Drury (or a Gomez, or a Smyth, or a [insert name of opportunistic UFA here]) by playing out the last year of his contract, stringing Wilson along and then jumping ship for bigger coin as a UFA (assuming he had a good regular season like his past two). That would have created an unhelpful distraction. Loyalty and team-first behaviour are high on my list, so I give him full credit there.
With the Salary Cap for 07-08 to be nearing $50mm, giving a player 12.5% of the budget seems like NFL logic. Marleau doesn't get much national press and has flown under the radar.
Still Marleau is ONLY being paid $6.3mm per year.
That's small change in the professional world.
The big point here is that next year 6.2 million will be less than 12.5% of a team's maximum spending capacity, and Marleau would have no problem finding other teams willing to pay much more than that. Being big, tall, a fast and smooth skater, a great playmaker and a 30+ goal scorer on the second line makes him one of the top3 centers playing on the second line in the NHL.
So, you guys are aware that Marleau played throughout the playoffs with a separated shoulder right? Conincidentally, the first playoffs where he has ever "underperformed."
Signing him was an absolute no-brainer at that price, regardless of last year's playoffs or anything else. He's driven that team for what? The last decade? Clearly Sharks management sent him a message when they acquired Thornton, who coincidentally went through a lot of the same questions in Boston as far as being a leader and stepping it up in the playoffs. That said, he's still an integral part of their offense and their team and would be a welcome fit on any roster in the league, as evidenced by all the rumors that had him going everywhere. I'll admit that had he pushed the envelope as far as salary demands, he would have punched his ticket out of town, but it would have been a really bad PR move to say the least. And someone else would have paid him, is there any doubt about that? He's worth every penny and this was a bargain.
I'm Lyle Richardson, also known as Spector, Foxsports.com 's "Prince of Pucks".,which is based on the fact I live in Prince Edward Island, Canada and I couldn't think of a better byline. I've been an NHL hockey commentator since 1998 on my website, Spector's Hockey, and I'm a contributing writer for Foxsports.com , The Hockey News and Eishockey News. I'm also a regular on The Faceoff Hockey Show and a frequent guest on "The Late Crew" on The Team 1200 Ottawa.
