Career Shark Patrick Marleau may be traded at the Feb. 29 deadline, but what teams would benefit from having the 36-year-old wearing their jersey, and what would benefit the Fish the most? The winger has not been playing up to par as of late and is having a lackluster season, with only 15 goals in 51 games. He has just one goal in 16 games.
Marleau has expressed interest in being traded to the New York Rangers, as they were one of the teams he listed he would play for prior to the season. The Rangers have also been scouting the Sharks "heavily" in recent weeks, .according to CSN Bay Area's Kevin Kurz. As the Sharks need a solid defenseman, pending unrestricted free agent Keith Yandle may be what the Rangers offer for Marleau. The Blueshirts might not be able to afford him for much longer.
The Nashville Predators have a need for a winger on their top line to complement new acquisition Ryan Johansen, and Marleau might be a perfect fit. With defenseman Seth Jones gone to bring in Johansen, Ryan Ellis might be a good addition for the Sharks instead, according to Kurz.
The St. Louis Blues could also express interest in Marleau, as they are in playoff contention but sorely lacking in offensive power, sitting at 24th in goals per game. Vladimir Tarasenko and Alex Steen are the main producers, but they have a need for another winger up front. Blueliner Kevin Shattenkirk could be on his way to San Jose if a trade pans out.
In what would certainly be met with shock and anger by fans, the 18-year Shark could join rival team the Anaheim Ducks. This trade makes the most sense, as the Ducks have focused on young defensive players as of late, turning their season around, but are still ranked last in goals scored per game, according to Kurz. Marleau's offense would certainly help the Ducks, and the Sharks could certainly use some young blueliners.
There is a good chance Marleau stays with his current team, though, as it would be a lot easier to deal him in the offseason. He is not very valuable on the trade market right now with his current play and his age, but the Sharks themselves are playing well.
When asked in November whether he would like to end his career with the Fins, he stated, "I've been here forever, and it's been a great place to play. I'm not going to get into specifics or anything like that. There's always been rumors in my career. I don't really want to feed into it anymore or comment on it. I don't want it to become a distraction or anything," according to Kurz.
Marleau is in the second year of a three-year $20 million contract.
