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The Toronto Maple Leafs waited until July 2 to made their first impact move of the summer, signing veteran free agent forward Patrick Marleau to a three-year, $18.75 Million contract.
The 37-year-old Saskatchewan native played 19 seasons in San Jose and scored 508 career goals, but elected to sign in Toronto over re-signing with the Sharks or going to Dallas.
“I've worn out a few carpets pacing around the house trying to make this decision over the past couple of days. I'm extremely excited and happy to be a part of the Maple Leafs organization. It's definitely an honor to be able to call myself a Maple Leaf.” Marleau said on a conference call on Sunday. “Being a Canadian player, a Canadian-born player, this 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.”
Marleau continues to be a consistent offensive performer into his 30’s, scoring 25+ goals five of the last seven seasons and not missing a regular season game since 2008-09, but a three-year contract is a calculated risk.
“With the plan that has been put together, we’re able to do something like this. We won’t be able to do this in a year or so but we have the room and flexibility to do it and not interrupt the process that we have in place, understanding where our young players are and where they will be.” GM Lou Lamoriello said. “We’ve always said that coming off the season we had last year, the year that our young players had, the difficulty of taking the next step, that giving them a veteran who can be put into any position in the lineup and support these players.”
Along with the additions of 36-year olds Dominic Moore and Ron Hainsey, the Marleau signing is an indicator that Lamoriello is attempting to upgrade the Leafs roster to be competitive in the two-year window that youngsters Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner are on their entry-level deals.
The two-time Gold Medal winner gives head coach Mike Babcock a trusted and versatile forward, capable of playing center or on the wing with Calder Trophy winner Matthews, while also giving Lamoriello options to obtain help on the blueline.
Toronto is currently over the $75 Million salary cap (because the contracts of injured forwards Nathan Horton and Joffrey Lupul count during the off-season) and are extremely deep up front.
With Marleau signed through 2020, the Leafs will not have the cap space to re-sign winger James van Riemsdyk to an extension after next season, which makes the 28-year-old winger a likely trade commodity.
Justin Williams, Marleau and Radim Vrbata were the only players in this free agent class to score more than 20 goals last season, and while van Riemsdyk’s goal scoring ability has great value to Toronto, it may have more value in the trade market for teams desperate for goal scoring.
There has been some speculation that rookie winger Connor Brown may be the price that the Leafs have to pay to acquire a defenseman, but he is under control for another four years before reaching unrestricted free agency and a favorite of Babcock.
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