San Jose Sharks: Patrick Marleau traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins
By Justin Fried
The San Jose Sharks have reportedly traded veteran wing Patrick Marleau to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a third-round draft pick.
The San Jose Sharks were expected to be quite active at this year’s trade deadline and nearly a week after shipping away fan-favorite defenseman Brenden Dillon, the team has reportedly traded veteran Patrick Marleau.
It was first reported by The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun earlier in the day that the Pittsburgh Penguins had a ton of interest in acquiring the 22-year NHL veteran. And it was later confirmed that the Penguins had indeed traded for Marleau, sending a third-round pick San Jose’s way.
Marleau was in the midst of his first year back with the Sharks following a disappointing two-year stint in Toronto. In 58 games this year, Marleau had amassed 10 goals and 10 assists while averaging 15:36 minutes of ice time.
On a struggling Sharks team, Marleau has managed to produce at an admirable rate and he’s shown that even at age 40 he still has something left in the tank. But perhaps his best trait continues to be his remarkable durability.
Marleau has played in all 58 games this season and his iron-man streak currently sits at 840 days — good for fifth-longest in NHL history. To be playing the hockey that he is at his age is nothing short of incredible.
It will be sad to say goodbye to Marleau once again and it’s safe to say that his second stint in San Jose didn’t exactly go as planned. But with the Sharks all but eliminated from playoff contention, Marleau will now get an opportunity to win his first Stanley Cup.
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Meanwhile, the Sharks continue to recoup some much-needed draft capital by picking up an extra third-round pick in this year’s draft. While they won’t have their first-rounder, they now have two second-rounders and two third-rounders with the possibility to earn an extra third.
It’s unclear if the Sharks are done with deadline deals as fellow veteran Joe Thornton has been at the center of trade talks for the last few weeks. Marleau was always the more likely name to be dealt, but that doesn’t mean that a Thornton swap won’t happen.
San Jose will gladly welcome Marleau — and Thornton if he is traded — back next season so this might not be the end of their Sharks’ careers just yet.
Interestingly enough, the Sharks play the Penguins in San Jose this upcoming Saturday meaning that we shouldn’t have to wait too long to see Patrick Marleau back at the SAP Center.
Next. San Jose Sharks have a bright future in the face of a disappointing season. dark
Another domino has fallen and San Jose Sharks fans will be eagerly awaiting to see if anything more happens before the end of the day.