Leafs add veteran presence in Marleau
As l ate as Saturday, Lou Lamoriello said the key to eventual success for the Toronto Maple Leafs was improvement from within.
But t he general manager went free- agent fishing again Sunday, along with first mate Mike Babcock and landed a San Jose Shark. Not just any teal teether, but marquee forward Patrick Marleau, who is hunting for a Stanley Cup and sees the young and hungry Leafs as his best bet — lured with an eyebrow- raising three- year US$18.75 million contract.
So is the Shanaplan getting fast- tracked after one 30 th-place season, followed by one playoff series? What about putting a player who’ll be 38 at training camp in such a prominent role, with a cap hit of US$6.25 million?
“As I have said often, the five-year plan changes every day,” Lamoriello responded. “Certainly, the acquisition of this player made a little change in perception, but not reality.
“It’s going to enhance the development of our players like last year. We didn’t know what to expect going into last season, whether Mitch (Marner) would make the team, how Auston ( Matthews) would adjust, where William ( Nylander) was, Connor Brown, Zach Hyman.
“We also have to be very careful of the next stage, the year after. This is where we want to make sure we don’t go off- course. I can see how people would look at it differently, but we have not given up any (young) assets, we have added support. As I said, we have the room and flexibility within the cap system to do this now. We wouldn’t later on.”
Marleau, who had narrowed his choices to Anaheim, Dallas, Toronto and his old team according to reports, settled for three years, split up by US$ 8.5 million in 2017- 18, t hen US$ 6 million and US$ 4.25 million in the final season.
“I think I’ve worn out a few carpets pacing around the house trying to make this decision the past couple of days,” Marleau said of weighing competing offers. “I’m extremely happy and it’s definitely an honour to call myself a Maple Leaf. Being a Canadian born player ( Swift Current, Sask., and raised in the nearby farming town of Aneroid), the decision took me quite a while to come to, but I’ve made it, I’m happy with it and I can’t wait to get started.”
Head coach and Saskatchewan neighbour Babcock got to know both Marleau and Sharks’ teammate Joe Thornton through various Team Canada invites and clearly had a role enticing Marleau away from the Bay Area after 19 years and a rack of Shark records. Many thought Marleau would cave and return when Thornton re- signed there Saturday. Enter Bacock’s powers of persuasion.
“I think having known ( him) from the Olympics and following his career and the work he has done speaks for itself ,” Marleau said. “Knowing that what he’s doing there with the team he has and knowing what I can contribute is extremely exciting for me.”