Marleau would accept trade to 3 teams

On Hockey Night in Canada’s “Headlines” segment this past weekend, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Patrick Marleau’s name was “out there” on the trade market. “It’s hard to pin down because none of the particulars are talking”, Friedman said. Now he’s got a no-move clause.

It’s unclear, at this point, if Wilson has taken any of the conversations with his counterparts about Marleau seriously, but if trade talks intensify, he could approach Marleau about accepting a trade out of San Jose. Originally drafted by the Sharks with the second overall pick in 1997, he is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 997 points in 1343 games. He doesn’t seem unhappy in San Jose, but when asked by Mercury News columnist Mark Purdy in October about not getting a letter (Sharks coach Pete DeBoer named Joe Thornton and Logan Couture alternate captains), Marleau tilted his head and shrugged his shoulders. The Rangers have been on the cusp of winning the Stanley Cup for a few years now and maybe they think Marleau is the missing piece.

“Just play. Go out and play”, Marleau said when asked how he’s handled trade rumors in the past. “You can’t control what people are saying, so I focus on what I can control”.

Further, general manager Doug Wilson has said in the past that he would not ask a player with a no-movement clause to waive it. He has nine points in fourteen games this season. The 36-year-old forward is in the second of a three-year, $20 million contract that has a no-movement clause, and did not have an agent when negotiating that deal. That leaves the Rangers, who according to Kurz, have had scouts at each of the past two Sharks’ home games.

Marleau has two years remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $6,666,666.