THN.com Blog: Sharks would regret trading captain Marleau
Patrick Marleau had 48 points in 78 regular season games and eight in 13 post-season games this year. (Photo by Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images)
Edward Fraser
2008-06-19 11:49:53
No other time – aside from before the trade deadline – does the rumor mill churn with such fervor as in the days leading up to the NHL Entry Draft.
With July 1 a stone’s throw away and the 2008-09 campaign already on the horizon, teams must decide who’s expendable and who’s available to fill holes now and down the road.
One of the names most bandied about – as it seems to be year after year – is Sharks center Patrick Marleau.
While his rumored deal to Columbus makes perfect sense for the Blue Jackets –filling their No. 1 center role, allowing Derick Brassard to slide onto the second line – it would be a mistake for the Sharks to part with their captain, unless they received a deal that (pardon the pun) blows them out of the water.
And Columbus’s sixth overall pick, which is reportedly what would head to the west coast, isn’t a blow-out-of-the-water offer. What might sufficiently entice the Sharks is the pick and Nikolai Zherdev (and, perhaps, Gilbert Brule, as well).
Despite yet another post-season failure, the core of the Sharks will remain in place next season and, with or without Brian Campbell patrolling the blueline, this is a team on the verge of something special.
San Jose has the ideal mix of established and youthful talent and another year of expe
Ryane Clowe, who missed 67 games with a knee injury, is primed for a breakout after tallying nine points in 15 playoff games.
Evgeni Nabokov, one of the league’s top five tenders, gives San Jose a chance to win night in and night out.
Who knows, maybe newly named coach Todd McLellan will be the man to spur Joe Thornton to step up once the second season rolls around.
Speaking of McLellan, the Sharks current cast deserves a chance to see if it can perform with a new man at the helm. And don’t discount the need to have a liaison between the new bench boss and the players. Marleau is that go-between and removing him while introducing a new coach simply wouldn’t be a wise decision.
One thing is certain; this club doesn’t need to have its already-thin layer of leadership stripped away. The 28-year-old Marleau, the Sharks’ captain since 2005, isn’t a rah-rah guy, but he provides stability to a lineup that needs it now and will be desperate for it in April.
Edward Fraser is the editor of thehockeynews.com. His blog normally appears Thursdays.
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Gabe Raymond (Posted 2008-06-20 13:52:30)
Fraser doesn't know what he's talking about. Everything this guy writes just sounds absurd. Watch a game Edward.
(Posted 2008-06-20 10:27:58)
I've got no problem with trading Marleau for 6th overall and one or both of Brule and Zherdev. The problem is who do you replace him with? Is anyone on the Sharks roster ready to be a
Jeff McKee (Posted 2008-06-20 10:25:09)
Doug Wilson has masterminded a potential new powerhouse here, similar to Detroit. Even Detroit said in The Hockey News this week that they don't expect to win the cup every year. They must be satisfied to be in the mix. San Jose is in the mix, so if Brian Campbell can't come to terms, Wilson will find the answer. The answer will balance on ice and off ice. There are other answers than Brian Campbell. Perhaps Redden. The inept Patrick Marleau, captained the best defensive team in the NHL last year. Maybe he did some things other than scoring. Marleau and Campbell are two excellent pieces in achieving a championship. Hossa - perhaps but I think it'll eat $10M. Not particularly in the San Jose style of patience. There are lots of other great pieces too and Doug Wilson will assemble them!
Mike (Posted 2008-06-19 22:20:38)
Ok. I believe the real reason behind trying to trade Patty Marleau is not to free up space to re sign Brian Campbell( who won't reason... better contact Redden) is to free up enough cap space to Offer a Huge 10m contract to the who named Marian Hossa. Imagine having Joe Thornton and Hossa on the same line. That would be amazing. Although I'd much rather see Cheechoo shiped out... along with the underachiver Marcel Goc I'd be willing to give up Marleau for Zherdev (who could play on Joe's other wing), Brule(good 2nd line center or winger) and a 1st round (6th overal) draft pick to possibly select a d man and have enough cap space to sign Redden and Hossa and make a run for the cup.
kevin (Posted 2008-06-19 19:10:36)
Let's face it, the Sharks line up needs some tweeking. A few guys need to go, Rissmiller, Goc, & Erhoff. They really didn't do & haven't done much of anything. The problem is that there are not many takers for underachievers so the Sharks will not get anything for them. They are well under the cap so replace those corpses w/ some UFA's that can contribute. Wilson's gone & that's a great start, maybe if Shelly was suited up in Calgary the proper message could have been sent for the Marleau hit & it really would have been a series. Wilson set up Marleau & didn't have his players respond to back up their captain! Maybe someone else should where the "C" this year, hang on to Patty, & fill in the holes. Now there's a Cup contender.
Ernie (Posted 2008-06-19 18:42:26)
Rachel, it actually is a HUGE deal that Marleau got decked and still played. Its the playoffs so when your captain gets drilled and comes out to play hard while the rest of the team is playing lazy, its a statement that is done with action, not words. I don't see anyone claiming that Marleau is the 2nd coming of Messier, but in case you didn't notice, the fact that Marleau took it and played, helped bring the team together. Furthermore, they overcome what many labelled a momentum changing hit to win the series. As for disappearing for 2/3's of the season, you do realize what the problem was right? Behind the doors, Ron Wilson and Marleau were not seeing eye to eye. When your coach is not supporting you, it will affect your play. Regardless if you're Morrow, Iginla, or Ovechkin. It wasn't until Wilson finally stepped up to support his captain with a 1/3 of the season to go that Marleau finally stepped up his game. The reassurance of not getting traded along with your coach backing your every move brought new life to Marleau. Please don't go making claims that you want better for the Sharks when you don't even know the whole story Rachel. Marleau is more important than you even know!
Rick (Posted 2008-06-19 18:31:01)
Leadership is about accountability and motivation... holding oneself to a high standard and also holding teammates to that level. Marleau can be a star player on many nights, but has not been able to get his team to put in a consistent effort game-after-game. I don't think he is right for the Captaincy. Now, can he produce if wearing A instead of C ? If so, keep him. If not, I say bye-bye.
Brian P (Posted 2008-06-19 17:49:42)
If I'm Columbus there's no way I'd be trading Zherdev, Brule and a first for Marleau. Brule and a first, maybe, or possibly Zherdev straight up with the hope that Filatov falls to them at 6th.
Bob Roberts (Posted 2008-06-19 16:26:19)
Yup, the Sharks need a real leader. Like Iginla. Or Morrow. Or Sakic. Or Thornton? Talk about playoff leaders, he's your man. Lot of big goals from him. Remember those two shorthanded goals he got? One tied the game and spurred the come-from-behind win and...Oh. No. That was Marleau, wasn't it? What a loser. Come on there, Rachel. What's the point of being a big regular season guy like Thornton if you disappear in the playoffs as he does every year, whether it's in SJ or Boston? No, Marleau hasn't lead his team to the Cup. But neither has anyone else. And that real leader Iginla couldn't lead his team past the Sharks with that terrible Marleau could he? You want better for the Sharks, get rid of the man who fired his coach to save his own butt!
(Posted 2008-06-19 13:56:00)
I would trade Marleau at the drop of a hat if Columbus offered us the
Rachel (Posted 2008-06-19 13:50:03)
Big deal, Marleau gets hit in the face and comes back and plays the rest of the game and Sharks fans think he’s the second coming of Mark Messier. Marleau is not a leader. His disappearing act for the first 2/3rds of the season was inexcusable for any player, but more so for someone who is supposed to be an example to his teammates. He played okay in the playoffs, not great. For every game he played well, there was another where he was invisible. After watching real leaders like Brendan Morrow and Jarome Iglinla playing against the Sharks during the playoffs, I want better for the Sharks.
Matt Fry (Posted 2008-06-19 12:33:46)
I agree, keep Marleau. I think McLellan and Marleau would get along really well. Sharks have to be careful though. If they don't trade him before July 1st, they won't be able to trade him for another two years. I'm sure other teams know that and if a huge trade is going to happen, it'll happen before July. Hopefully they see his past season as a bump and not an utter failure. His stats will come around next year.
Jay R (Posted 2008-06-19 12:04:50)
Now that they've got rid of that idiot Ron Wilson,this team could do something big.I wouldn't make any moves just yet.Marleau was great in the playoffs this year.Did you see his face in the 1st round?
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