[Overheard?] Marleau Would Okay Deal to One of Three Teams

[The Comish]

Sorry if I got this wrong, but I believe I just overheard between the first and second periods of the SJ/NYI game, that Marleau would accept a trade to one of three teams:

Kings
Canucks
Rangers

I'll try to follow up with something more substantial that the tail end of an intermission reporter talking.

[deantime419]

Canucks could make sense if they wanna make one more run at a long playoff run but I'm not sure they want to do that.

Not sure how the cap would allow a trade to the other two.

[PatyOFurniture]

man I hope its not the canucks.. It's time to rebuild.

As a marleau owner I can only hope for LA or NY

[metaldude26]

Rangers are the only team I could actually see working out. Sharks aren't going to trade in-division are they?

[Moses]

Thornton and Marleau for Sedin and Sedin. That would be fun wouldn't it!

[Otto2000]

Per TSN -- NYR, LA, ANA

http://www.tsn.ca/report-marleau-wou...teams-1.391840

[Axeman33]

I can see him wanting to stay west but as mentioned earlier, I doubt the Sharks want to deal him within the West. This is the problem when you give these players the limited NTC, or the NTC at all. It really ties the hands of the owning teams and the opposition teams (especially those on the list) know this and rarely pay fair market value for the players.

The Rangers would love to have him, and the Sharks would prefer to send him there, but the Rangers have no cap space. There would have to be some crafty dealing to make it work.

[rangerfan2430]

God I hope he doesn't go to New York

[Chico Resch]

I can see him wanting to stay west but as mentioned earlier, I doubt the Sharks want to deal him within the West. This is the problem when you give these players the limited NTC, or the NTC at all. It really ties the hands of the owning teams and the opposition teams (especially those on the list) know this and rarely pay fair market value for the players.

The Rangers would love to have him, and the Sharks would prefer to send him there, but the Rangers have no cap space. There would have to be some crafty dealing to make it work.

Yeah, cant see this trade happening.

He's not going to the Kings or Duckingtons, and how can the Rangers afford him? Send the horrible $8m salary for Stepan?

[blayze]

Rangers are the only team I could actually see working out. Sharks aren't going to trade in-division are they?

I don't see why that would stop them if they can get a good return. This is old man Patty we're talking here... hardly a game changer.

[Axeman33]

https://twitter.com/NicholsOnHockey/...86113412042753

Dreger on Patrick Marleau at 36: I had an NHL exec tell me today he skates like he's in his 20s. Still has a lot left in tank. #SJSharks

[dejeanneret]

I don't see why that would stop them if they can get a good return. This is old man Patty we're talking here... hardly a game changer.

Bingo. The broadcast last night touched on this point too, which I found interesting and pleasantly surprising for a quick in-game commentary.

Talking head A commented [paraphrasing here] "gee, the Sharks wouldn't send him to division rival in-state, would they?"

To which Talk head B responded, [also paraphrasing here] "They'd send him to whichever of the 3 teams brought the best return. He's 36 years old, and not the game changer he used to be. He's got about 2 years left, and SJ isn't realistically competing for the Cup in that time frame anyhow. It'd be foolish not to send him to LA or Anaheim if that's who's willing to pony up the best return."

In other words, with respect to all but a very few players perhaps, I think it's fair to question how much NHL GMs actually consider this whole "not in the division" thing that we, as fans, like to bring up frequently. What with cap space limitations, a glut of fairly ugly contracts out there in the league, no movement clauses, partial NTCs, constant pressure (in most places) to turn things around quickly, increasing turnover in executive leadership within the organizations when things do not, etc . . . it's a different world out there these days. If a deal helps the club, I suspect that is what drives the decision, plain and simple. There are just so many other variables these days, the old "not to a division rival" things seems kind of antiquated.

And that's before factoring in that Marleau is well along on the back 9 of his career.

[metaldude26]

I don't see why that would stop them if they can get a good return. This is old man Patty we're talking here... hardly a game changer.

Have you been watching him this year. I checked in a few times after his hot start. Dude is flying. Plays in all situations. If he's not a game-changer, I don't know who is.

[blayze]

Have you been watching him this year. I checked in a few times after his hot start. Dude is flying. Plays in all situations. If he's not a game-changer, I don't know who is.

Admittedly I've only watched 2 games and he wasn't particularly noticeable in either. He had a nice start to the year and as per usual has fizzled - at least on the stat sheet.

[metaldude26]

Admittedly I've only watched 2 games and he wasn't particularly noticeable in either. He had a nice start to the year and as per usual has fizzled - at least on the stat sheet.

I could be wrong. I have not yet viewed him scoring a goal live. It seems like the chunk of offense that has been missing for him is points he otherwise would have scored on the power play. He has just two points thus far, which is an 11 PPP pace. I have him getting to 20 or more pretty easily once Couture returns. Their PP has been some kind of awful without Couture. And maybe I should be putting some of that on Marleau.