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Patrick Marleau News & Rumors

It's time for San Jose Sharks to part ways with Patrick Marleau
April 24
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Tim Kawakami
"Don't blame Patrick Marleau for this, not now, at least. It's not his fault that Sharks management has demonstrated such a high tolerance for less than passionate play. He didn't create this comfort-mood Sharks culture; he's merely the prime recipient and symbol of it, and the Sharks got a lot out of him over the years. Don't blame Marleau singularly for the Sharks' first-round exit this season, or all the other playoff exits over all the other seasons. This is the Sharks' formulation, not Marleau's, though both sides have benefited. To be stringently fair, the Marleau era has been good for the Sharks and obviously good for Marleau. There has been a good reason for the Sharks to bend over"
The face of San Jose Sharks' Game 4 defeat is Patrick Marleau
April 20
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Mark Purdy
"In Internet vote, Patrick Marleau won the "Fan Favorite" award at the conclusion of the Sharks' regular season. He may be forcing a recall vote in the playoffs. Marleau was hardly the sole reason the Sharks lost Thursday's game to the St. Louis Blues, 2-1, at HP Pavilion. But he was the face of the defeat. And he probably deserved to be. Sometimes it's hard to keep reminding yourself that Marleau is the Sharks' all-time leader in game-winning playoff goals (13) as well as in career playoff points (88). For all that, the man has a habit of stringing together postseason games where he has little to no impact on anything, including beer sales. Then, when you least expect it, he pops up to"
Patrick Marleau gets hat trick for San Jose in win
November 21
San Jose Mercury News
 
"One weekend, two road games, four points. Not a bad 48 hours for the Sharks and not a bad game Sunday night for Patrick Marleau at the Pepsi Center where his fourth career hat trick paced San Jose to a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. "That's what you want out of a road trip like this, two pretty hard-fought games," said Marleau, who also chipped in two assists in San Jose's Saturday night victory over the Dallas Stars by an identical score. "We'll take that and we've got to carry it over at home now.""
Stoic Marleau ready to put pressure on Sedins line
May 22
Vancouver Province
 
"Patrick Marleau has five goals in four games. He'd be forgiven for a little boldness. He could get away with a couple "I told you so's," maybe even a dig or two, directed at his critics. Heck, with the ridicule he's absorbed, an all-out chest pounding on the Golden Gate Bridge isn't out of line. But he's not into any of it. Frankly, he doesn't appear to be into much. He's as flat after a win, as he is after a loss. He's as stoic when proving everyone wrong as he is when he's taking everyone's abuse. Jeremy Roenick couldn't light a fire under him, because if he did, Marleau would just shrug, and grab the nearest bucket of water. He comes across as the kind of guy who would use the word"
In a rarity, Sharks' Patrick Marleau drops the gloves
May 19
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Patrick Marleau scored his third goal in three games Wednesday night, but he became a focal point of discussion for another reason. Less than two weeks after his former teammate, Jeremy Roenick, called Marleau "gutless" on television following a 4-3 loss to Detroit on May 8, the Sharks assistant captain decided to go toe-to-toe with Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa with just over two minutes remaining in the second period in Game 2 of the Western Conference final. It was Marleau's first fight since 2007 and just the sixth of his career. "Well, I haven't fought too many times, but I'm the one who dropped the gloves," he said. The two squared off in a rather one-sided fight; Bieksa landing"
Sweet redemption for Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton
May 13
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Tim Kawakami
"They beat the demons, the Detroit Red Wings and just about anything else and anybody else you want to name. Patrick Marleau scored the game-winner and made a potential game-saving hit, Joe Thornton controlled the pace of play, and the Sharks won the big game, with their big players, when the air was thin and the walls were pressing in on them. Marleau and Thornton. Yes. If it wasn't absolute playoff redemption, it was the closest thing available at the moment for the Sharks' two most talented, and often most frustrating, players. Of course, Marleau and Thornton weren't the only reasons the Sharks won Game 7 of this incredible, unexplainable series. But when it was over Thursday night,"
Patrick Marleau's clear-cut moment for Sharks
May 13
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"It was the loudest sigh of relief you'll hear. It was exhaled by Sharks forward Patrick Marleau as he corralled a loose puck in the final seconds Thursday, wheeled around and cleared it from the defensive zone. And it was breathed in unison by his coaches, teammates and every San Jose fan. The result was deafening, decibels not previously heard at the Shark Tank. Fitting for what might be the most important win in franchise history. "Getting the clear, hearing the crowd, then just watching as the final few seconds went off the clock ..." Marleau said, trailing off. That was his sigh-of-relief moment. That was the moment that will really stick with him. Not his goal at 12:13 in the third"
Roenick's criticism of Sharks' Marleau personal
May 10
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Sharks forward Patrick Marleau is a lightning rod for playoff frustrations in San Jose, and you had to know after his turnover led to the Red Wings' winning goal in Sunday's 4-3 Game 5 loss that he was going to feel some heat. Versus talking head and onetime Shark Jeremy Roenick was there to make sure he did. In the postgame show, Roenick said Marleau had "an unbelievably poor effort ... a gutless, gutless performance" in the game. "Count them: zero points in this series, and he has a game like that." Later, on "Hockey Central," Roenick was asked by studio mate Keith Jones whether he thought Marleau was playing injured. "He's hurt all right," Roenick said, and pointed to his chest. "Right"
Marleau scores in 1,000th game
January 18
San Jose Mercury News
 
"After breaking their six-game losing streak, Sharks coach Todd McLellan had stressed that his team wasn't "out of the woods." Monday, the Sharks proved they at least aren't lost in the desert. And a 4-2 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes for their second-consecutive victory is an indication that the Sharks might be emerging from a brutal slump that has threatened to derail their season. Patrick Marleau led the way with a goal in his 1,000th career NHL game, and Logan Couture, Dany Heatley and Joe Thornton also scored as the Sharks (23-19-5) turned in perhaps their best all-around performance in weeks. Adding to the good vibes was the fact that goaltender Antti Niemi overcame a shaky start"
Sharks might reunite Marleau, Heatley, Thornton in starting lineup
October 23
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Formal introductions won't be necessary, but Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley could be starting on the same line tonight for the first time this season when the Sharks face the Edmonton Oilers. That's how they finished up in the Sharks' 4-2 victory over Colorado, and that's how they were lined up at practice Friday inside Rexall Place. The three played much of last season and the playoffs together, but coach Todd McLellan split them up this season in an effort to spread scoring on three different lines. Lack of five-on-five scoring has been a concern, though, and McLellan appears ready to turn to what has worked in the past. Joe Pavelski, Devin Setoguchi and Ryane Clowe were"
Sharks give Marleau, Pavelski 4-year deals
June 25
San Jose Mercury News
 
"On the eve of today's 2010 NHL draft that focuses on their future, the Sharks took care of their present. Patrick Marleau, the team's all-time leading scorer, and Joe Pavelski, whose 17 points in the playoffs led all Sharks this spring, reached agreement Thursday on four-year contract extensions that will keep them off the July 1 free-agent market. Marleau will receive $6.9 million each season and Pavelski will make $4 million — less than they likely would have earned elsewhere, but a price tag that fits into general manager Doug Wilson's plan to build a roster that once again will challenge for the Stanley Cup. "I don't think there's any doubt — and history has shown — that the"
New four-year contracts in place for Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski
June 24
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Sharks general manager Doug Wilson got his wish. Ideally, he said earlier this week, he'd have new contracts for Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski before the draft and both players now have new four-year deals. Neither contract is front-end loaded and Marleau will earn $6.9 milion per season while Pavelski is making $4 million per season."
San Jose seems to be leaning to Marleau
June 23
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"The Sharks made their choice between their two high-profile unrestricted free agents, forward Patrick Marleau and goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, on Tuesday and Nabokov is out. Sharks general manager Doug Wilson told Nabokov on Tuesday morning that the team will not re-sign him, and Nabokov said that he is OK with San Jose's decision. He spent 10 seasons with the Sharks. "It's unfortunate I wasn't able to get the job done for them," Nabokov said by phone. "I regret I wasn't able to win a Stanley Cup with this organization, because it would be best if I won the Stanley Cup with them. "I have spent a lot of good years here, and there have been a lot of good moments. Maybe I'm spoiled because I've"
Sharks surely won't be able to keep both Marleau and Nabokov
May 25
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Mark Purdy
"For those of you scoring at home, the Sharks' exhilarating yet ultimately frustrating 2010 playoff adventure lasted for 15 games and 40 days. Including overtimes. But put on your face shield and mouth guard. Because the next 36 days could be even more emotional and brutal in their own special way. Between now and July 1, when the NHL's free-agent period begins, the franchise faces some rugged choices. And one of them could be more painful than the inside of Duncan Keith's mouth after the Blackhawks player lost seven teeth in Sunday's game. There is a very real possibility that the Sharks will need to choose between keeping the best goalie in franchise history or keeping their all-time"
Sharks Patrick Marleau sounds like he wants to stay
May 24
San Jose Mercury News
 
"The Sharks and Patrick Marleau are going to have to decide over the next two months if they have a future together. But Sunday, the player who scored five of San Jose's seven goals in the Western Conference finals, sort of sounded like someone who wanted to stay where he is after his contract expires June 30. "There's lots of time to think about that," Marleau said. "We love San Jose. We'll see how every thing works out." Because the Sharks had not advanced out of the second round in the post-lockout era until this year, he had earned a reputation as an underachiever despite being the team's top playoff scorer with 37 goals and 62 points in 92 games coming into this postseason."
Patrick Marleau proves to be the San Jose Sharks' lone scorer
May 22
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Patrick Marleau continues to figure out ways to beat Blackhawks goalie Antti Niemi. Unfortunately he's also the only Shark to do so. Marleau collected a pair of goals in a losing effort for the second straight game while the Blackhawks claimed a 3-2 sudden death overtime victory on Friday before a raucous United Center crowd. And with their backs to the wall with a 3-0 deficit in the NHL Western Conference finals, Marleau and Co. now have only one option left. "Winning is what it comes down to now," he said. "We're going to draw on what Philly did — one game at a time is the saying, but it's going to hold true for us." Sharks coach Todd McLellan shook up his lines in a bid to generate more"
Redemptive night for the veterans
May 9
San Francisco Chronicle
 columnist Ray Ratto
"If the winning goal in Saturday's 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings is going to be dressed up as the great redemptive moment in San Jose Sharks history, all the usual suspects get to take their victory lap. Patrick Marleau got the game-winner, a one-timer from just inside the right face-off circle with 13:01 to play. Joe Thornton won the face-off and delivered the tape-to-tape service to Marleau from behind Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard's right shoulder - that, after scoring the Sharks' first goal and having his stick slashed from his hands as part of Detroit's first goal. And goalie Evgeni Nabokov allowed only a two-carom goal (Marleau's leg and the right goalpost) to the dominant team"
Mighty Marleau silences the doubters
May 9
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Mark Purdy
"Third period. Clock moving. Score tied. And holy cow, there was Patrick Marleau. Wide open. Ice all around him. Net in front of him. On the bench, Sharks coach Todd McLellan saw the whole thing — Marleau coming free, Joe Thornton behind the goal fishing for the puck, starting to look up. McLellan, inside his head, began silently screaming for Thornton to see Marleau. No, check that. "I don't know if we were silent," McLellan said. One second later, nobody was. Thornton, a relentless hog for the puck all Saturday night, snared it and made a perfect feed to Marleau, who turned and whipped the one-timer past Detroit Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard. The Sharks were ahead, 2-1. This, ladies and"
Sharks get lift from Big Three
May 3
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Mark Purdy
"The three Sharks gold-medal forwards finally held a reunion Sunday. They met at the net for the winning goal. High fives and party favors were exchanged. That is, if by "party favors," you mean a two-games-to-none lead over the Detroit Red Wings in this second-round series — plus a very encouraging sign that the Sharks' offensive engine no longer has just one gear, with the name of "Joe Pavelski" on the stick shift. Pavelski was again a constant hockey hammer in the 4-3 comeback victory over Detroit at HP Pavilion and scored two goals in the process. But with the score 3-3 as the third-period clock wound down to under eight minutes, the Sharks needed something more. And wouldn't you know"
San Jose Sharks' Patrick Marleau set to return
May 2
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Patrick Marleau appears as if he will be back on the ice today for Game 2 against Detroit at HP Pavilion. But it's an open question with which line Marleau will be skating when the puck drops. Marleau went through the full practice Saturday and pronounced himself fit to play after missing Game 1 with a bout of the flu. He skated with Torrey Mitchell and Manny Malhotra. Meanwhile Logan Couture was on Joe Thornton's line with Dany Heatley. "No idea," Marleau said when asked where he might play. "Todd (McLellan) does everything for a reason. So whatever he thinks is best and will help out the team, he'll do." For his part, McLellan said don't read too much into the practice lines. "We're"
Does Patrick Marleau have Sharks bugged?
May 1
Oakland Tribune
 
"A teeming horde of media attended the Sharks' optional practice Friday. There wasn't much news to be had, but the press was treated to an authentic NHL postseason experience: Trying in vain to locate Patrick Marleau. Marleau had come and gone by the time access was granted to the team's locker room at Sharks Ice. Those who saw him say he looked better than he had Thursday night, when he was scratched from Game 1 of the Sharks-Detroit Red Wings playoff series with an undisclosed injury that was later downgraded to flu-like symptoms. It was a surprising turn of events, announced just before game time, involving the Sharks' most confounding player at the most important time of year. Naturally"
Sharks still waiting for Marleau to be seen
May 1
San Jose Mercury News
 
"A teeming horde of media attended the Sharks' optional practice Friday. There wasn't much news to be had, but the press was treated to an authentic NHL postseason experience: Trying in vain to locate Patrick Marleau. Marleau had come and gone by the time access was granted to the team's locker room at Sharks Ice. Those who saw him say he looked better than he had Thursday night, when he was scratched from Game 1 of the Sharks-Detroit Red Wings playoff series with an undisclosed injury that was later downgraded to flu-like symptoms. It was a surprising turn of events, announced just before game time, involving the Sharks' most confounding player at the most important time of the year."
San Jose Sharks' Patrick Marleau misses game; McLellan cites flu-like symptoms
April 30
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Patrick Marleau was a surprise scratch Thursday night, missing Game 1 of the Sharks' second-round playoff series against the Detroit Red Wings. After the game, Sharks coach Todd McLellan said Marleau had been battling the flu for the past 24 hours and had a high temperature, prompting the decision to keep him out of the lineup. After missing the morning practice, Marleau did take part in the pregame skate 30 minutes before faceoff. The Sharks' top goal-scorer in the regular season with 44, Marleau played in all 82 games. He had one goal and two assists in San Jose's six-game series victory over the Colorado Avalanche, but Marleau came under criticism along with Joe Thornton and Dany"
Sharks Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton remain confident
April 21
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Both Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton remained upbeat Tuesday morning despite questions being raised on their productivity. "Obviously, we'd like to contribute offensively," Marleau said. "That's what everybody looks for, but if we're doing things defensively and we get scoring from other areas, that's good too. But definitely, we look upon ourselves to get the job done." Does Marleau think he's been able to ratchet up his own game, a standard playoff requirement, this series? "Yeah, I think so," he said. "The intensity is obviously up. You're skating a little bit harder, bodies are being played more." Thornton, who has two assists and was a minus-3 before Game 4, was asked if it's hard to"
For Patrick Marleau, each series could be his last with San Jose
April 15
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Mark Purdy
"The Sharks never take the easy way. And they are making it hard on themselves again. Way too hard. "We've talked about the need to overcome," said Sharks coach Todd McLellan. "And we are in that situation." Absolutely. And it's hard to resist the temptation to say, here we go again. No one expected the Colorado Avalanche to lie down and lose to the Sharks, either in Wednesday night's Game 1 or in the whole series. But for too much of Wednesday night's game, the Sharks cooperated by allowing the Avalanche to be more disruptive than necessary. The disruption was textbook defensive hockey. Colorado clogged up the neutral zone to slow the Sharks. And near the net, the Avalanche was quicker"
Sharks' Big Three will remain on same forward line
April 14
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Sharks coach Todd McLellan plans to keep his three Team Canada gold medalists on the same forward line when the playoffs start tonight at HP Pavilion. But how long Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley continue on the same unit will depend on how well the they — as well as the rest of the forward lines — do against the Colorado Avalanche. "They'll determine how long they stay together," McLellan said Tuesday. "If it's not going very good, we have over the last month and a half moved lines around, and we're prepared to do that again." McLellan put the Marleau, Thornton and Heatley together in late November and for a while they seemed unstoppable. When their production dropped off,"
Media votes Patrick Marleau the top Shark again
April 11
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Media votes Marleau top Shark again Last summer, much of the hockey world became fixated on the Sharks decision to take the "C" off forward Patrick Marleau's jersey. Marleau insisted that losing the captaincy was no big deal, then went out and averaged a point a game this season and scored his career-high 44th goal against Phoenix on Saturday. For his effort, Marleau has been voted the Sharks' player of the year by the Bay Area media, the team announced. Rookie-of-the-year honors went to defenseman Jason Demers, who had four goals and 17 points in 51 games this season. Marleau, who has played 953 games for San Jose after being the team's first-round draft pick in 1997, was named player of"
San Jose Sharks look for lessons from Olympic experience
March 3
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Gary Peterson
"You can't go to the Olympics without bringing home a present. Tuesday morning, after a short practice, five San Jose Sharks shared the best souvenirs money can't buy. "You haven't been able to wipe the smile off my face in 48 hours," said Joe Thornton, flashing the gold medal Canada won Sunday with an instant-classic overtime victory over Team USA. "I think the rest of the guys are about the same." Pause. "I'm not sure about Pavs." Laughter. Thornton, of course, was one of four Sharks (along with Patrick Marleau, Dany Heatley and Dan Boyle) who played for victorious Canada. Joe Pavelski was the only San Jose player from the vanquished U.S. team. Two days after the game that catapulted the"
Sharks need to leave Olympics behind
March 2
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Evgeni Nabokov, above and below, had a game to forget, yielding six goals to Canada. Evgeni Nabokov thought about the Olympics, fell to his knees and wept hysterically for a good ten minutes. Yeah, sure he did. In the comfortable one-thing-always-leads-to-another world of the modern conspiracy theorist, whatever failings he might demonstrate in the Stanley Cup playoffs will be directly attributable to Nabokov's six-goal pummeling by the Canadians in the quarterfinals. In his world, well, let's put it this way: The Sharks' first goaltender was polite when asked if he worries about any lingering hangover from the Russian Olympic flameout, as the 7-3 loss to Canada can be fairly termed,"
San Jose Sharks scatter for Olympic break
February 15
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Team togetherness ended Sunday. After 11 nights on the road, the Sharks returned on their charter jet to San Jose in the wee hours of the morning and scattered. Eight players were off to the Winter Olympics within hours. Everybody else? For nine days, it's rest and relaxation. It's every man for himself and his family — with some limits (no downhill skiing, please) and exceptions (injured players whose names are on an NHL-approved list can report for treatments). Rob Blake and his family might head to Southern California. Jed Ortmeyer and his wife are going to Maui. Ryane Clowe is off to Newfoundland to visit family and friends. Even coach Todd McLellan is off to Lake Tahoe for a few days."
Sharks' Olympians will make a quick turnaround in San Jose
February 14
San Jose Mercury News
 
"For the eight Sharks heading to Vancouver today to represent five countries in the Winter Olympics, San Jose was just one more stop on a monthlong road trip. And not much of a stop at that, considering that some of them were home for as few as six hours. The charter flight after Saturday night's 3-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres wasn't expected to land at the San Jose airport until about 2 a.m. All of the Olympians were flying commercially, and at least three were booked on an 11 a.m. flight from San Francisco — the only Bay Area airport with nonstops to Vancouver. "Land and go," Joe Thornton said, "but it'll be worth it." Players have been trying not to be distracted by all the pre-Olympic"
San Jose Sharks keep Patrick Marleau on second line for Red Wings game
February 12
San Jose Mercury News
 
"It could have been a final chance for Detroit coach Mike Babcock to get a firsthand look at the line that everyone expects him to keep together when Team Canada begins its pursuit of Olympic gold next week in Vancouver. But Sharks coach Todd McLellan decided that it was in his team's best interest to split Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau onto separate lines at the start of Thursday night's game against the Red Wings. "We have to look at history and last night at Columbus we started them together and didn't have a lot going on," McLellan said. "When we split them up, we got going." Devin Setoguchi joined Thornton and Heatley while Marleau stayed at left wing on a line with"
Sharks' Marleau keeps pushing scoring elite
February 6
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Patrick Marleau woke up Friday morning tied with some guy named Alexander Ovechkin for most goals in the NHL at 38 — one more than some other guy named Sidney Crosby. Marleau's next goal will be his career high in a season that is a little more than two-thirds completed. He's on pace to score 54 for the season and is hanging with the NHL's two biggest marquee names. "Yeah, it's nice to see your name linked to those two great players," said Marleau, who dropped out of the scoring lead when Ovechkin scored once in Washington's win on Friday night. "And it's good peer pressure to try to push yourself to stay on top or keep pace." Tonight the Sharks make their second visit to the Sommet Center"
Sharks beat Coyotes behind Marleau's two goals
January 13
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Patrick Marleau modestly made it sound as if scoring his NHL-leading 30th and 31st goals Tuesday night in a 3-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes was just a combination of luck and being in the right place at the right time. His lineate saw it a little differently. "He's the best left winger in the game right now, no doubt about it," center Joe Thornton said. "Every night he seems to have lots of jump and lots of energy. He's just so consistent." Either way, Marleau was a difference-maker, scoring both short-handed and on the power play as the Sharks completed a quick trip with back-to-back victories over teams — the Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings — that had been thorns in their side all"
Sharks' Olympians play the numbers game
January 12
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Now that the Sharks know they'll have eight players competing in Vancouver next month, there's also the matter of what jersey numbers each will wear. In international competition, it's usually all about seniority. Which is why Joe Thornton has worn No. 97 — recognizing 1997 as the year he was the first player taken in the NHL draft — until now. With Joe Sakic retired — and 2006 Olympian Shane Doan left off the team — Thornton could claim No. 19. Dany Heatley (No. 15) and Dan Boyle (No. 22) will be able to keep the numbers they wear for the Sharks. Patrick Marleau couldn't get his No. 12 jersey because Jarome Iginla will be wearing it; Marleau took No. 11 as the next best thing. Joe"
Marleau's hard work pays off
January 9
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Patrick Marleau rattled through the emotions he felt upon learning that he had made the Team Canada Olympic squad. Honored. Excited. Humbled. Here's a word he did not use: vindicated. When Team Canada was announced Dec. 30, one of the strongest story lines was Marleau's progression from scapegoat to Olympian. In the wake of the Sharks' playoff disaster last spring, he had shouldered much of the blame and lost the team's captaincy. But rather than mope, Marleau returned with a positive attitude and played his way onto the world's most exclusive hockey team. Only Marleau isn't holding to the script about changing perceptions and finding redemption. "I am proud, but it doesn't matter if"
Patrick Marleau's 300th and 301st goals key San Jose Sharks' romp
December 27
San Jose Mercury News
 
"With his players having had three days away from the rink, Sharks coach Todd McLellan made Saturday's morning skate a little more intense than the usually light day-of-game preparation. And when the Sharks skated off that night with a convincing 5-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks at HP Pavilion, center Joe Thornton was quick to cite the change in routine as one reason things went so well. "That kind of set the tone for tonight's game," said Thornton, who finished the night with three assists to raise his NHL-leading point total to 54. "I thought the guys looked energized." The Sharks came out flying, building a 5-0 lead on two goals by Patrick Marleau — the 300th and 301st of his career —"
Marleau's actions show there's no 'C' in team
October 14
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Since Patrick Marleau has lost his captain's "C," the theory goes, the pressure is off: That's why he scored a flurry of goals to start the season, with five in the first five games. Marleau smiled at this characterization. His game hasn't changed at all with the loss of the captaincy. "I'm just playing," he said. "I'm trying to get off to a good start. ... It's a long season." Scoring hasn't really ever presented trouble for Marleau. The 30-year-old center is the franchise's all-time leading scorer. And as new team captain Rob Blake pointed out, though Marleau took much of the heat for San Jose's first-round playoff flop in the spring, he recorded two game-winning goals in the series"
Marleau maintains 'even keel'
October 10
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Patrick Marleau has been flying around the ice in the early NHL season. And an obvious thought is that the quickness is there because he no longer carries the weight of the captain's insignia on his jersey. But in reality Marleau, who led the Sharks with 38 goals last season, is picking up where he left off. He hasn't changed — and that's no small accomplishment after a summer in which Marleau saw the captaincy taken from him and was the subject of trade rumors. He hasn't pouted, shouted or been any kind of distraction. It even could be argued that Marleau has shown as much leadership in the graceful way he has dealt with his demotion than at any time when he actually was captain."
Prove it: Can Sharks' big three shed reputations?
October 1
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Look around the Sharks' locker room in any direction and you can find somebody with something to prove. Collectively and individually this edition of the franchise, which begins its 19th season tonight in Denver against the Colorado Avalanche, knows it has a reputation to reverse. And that it will take 82 games over the next six months before that can even begin to happen. The polite term? Postseason underachievers. But defenseman Dan Boyle uses more direct language: "I've only been here one year and I'm sick of talking about choking in the playoffs." General manager Doug Wilson vowed to make changes after a team that finished with the best regular-season record failed to survive a"
Murray denies Heatley dealt to Sharks
September 11
Ottawa Citizen
 
"Sooner or later, maybe even in the next few days, Dany Heatley will get his wish and be traded out of Ottawa. However, for now he's going to have to grin and bear it, and show up for training camp. He will be able to keep a low profile again today, though, because the Senators said late Thursday night he would not take part in the team's charity golf tournament at the Kanata Golf and Country Club. Heatley had been expected to tee off with his teammates, but the team said it wanted to keep the focus on the Sens Foundation. According to workers at the Shell Aeroecentre at the Ottawa International Airport, Heatley was spotted arriving late Thursday night on a charter flight from somewhere"
Sharks deny Marleau report
September 11
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Sharks general manager Doug Wilson told The Chronicle that an ESPN.com report that San Jose has agreed to trade the team's all-time leading scorer, Patrick Marleau, and acquire Ottawa forward Dany Heatley is "complete bull." According to ESPN.com, the Sharks have reached an agreement to send Marleau, recently stripped of his title as team captain, to Los Angeles as part of a three-way deal that would bring Heatley to San Jose and send Alexander Frolov and Jarret Stoll to the Senators. Wilson, Kings general manager Dean Lombardi and Senators GM Bryan Murray issued denials to ESPN.com. Heatley, a two-time 50-goal scorer, has requested a trade, but, like Marleau, his contract has a no-trade"
McKenzie: No Truth To Reports That Heatley Has Been Traded
September 11
TSN.ca
 
"Here we go again. Amid reports that the Ottawa Senators have traded Dany Heatley to the San Jose Sharks as part of a three-way deal with the Los Angeles Kings, sources tell TSN nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, sources tell TSN that not only is the report of a three-way deal being done not true, but the Senators are no closer to trading Heatley now than they have been for most of the summer."
Marleau says he's OK with losing captaincy
August 21
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Sharks veteran Patrick Marleau may have lost his captaincy, but Thursday he said he does not see himself as the fall guy for his team's playoff disappointments in recent years. "I don't think so," he said after an informal skate at Sharks Ice, "but that's for everybody else to speculate about, I guess." Marleau said last month that he had told general manager Doug Wilson that if the Sharks brass and coaching staff felt someone else should be the captain, "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get this team to the next level." The news earlier this week from coach Todd McLellan that the team is currently without a captain did not change his perspective. "I just want to win the Cup,""
Boyle is the most likely candidate to replace Marleau as captain
August 18
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Mark Purdy
"Patrick Marleau is no longer the Sharks' captain. The team made it official Monday. If you are stunned or surprised, you must be either a pure Marleau enthusiast who doesn't believe in consequences, or a pure baseball fan who doesn't believe in hockey. Here's a bigger question: Will Marleau be with the Sharks at all by the season-opening face off? The answer remains very much up in the air. Rumors still gurgle that Marleau could be traded, perhaps as part of some three-way deal that would bring Ottawa's Dany Heatley to our beloved Los Tiburones. However, if Monday's news does anything in that regard, it probably pushes the needle more toward Marleau staying. Otherwise, why would the Sharks"
Sharks looking for leadership
August 18
Boston Herald
 
"Patrick Marleau won't have the "C" on his jersey when the Sharks open training camp next month. "As of now," coach Todd McLellan said Monday, "nobody is our captain." The soft-spoken Marleau has been San Jose's designated leader since January 2004. But when the Sharks failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs last spring after finishing the regular season with the Presidents' Trophy, locker room leadership and overall mental toughness once again came under fire. McLellan stressed he wasn't trying to single out Marleau on the leadership issue "" "It's a collective thing and it starts with me as coach." The coach added that both assistant captain positions — roles filled last"