Leafs beef up roster, signing veteran Patrick Marleau to three-year deal
TORONTO — The Toronto Maple Leafs beefed up their rising roster Sunday night, signing 37-year-old Patrick Marleau to a three-year deal.
Marleau has spent his entire NHL career with the San Jose Sharks, drafted second overall by the club 20 years ago. He joins a promising Leafs squad that nearly toppled the President’s Trophy-winning Washington Capitals in the first round last April and one with apparent sights on Stanley Cup contention as soon as the coming season.
Marleau, who turns 38 in September, will carry an annual cap hit of US$6.25 million.
He stands to offer head coach Mike Babcock plenty of versatility — capable of lining up at centre or on the wing, on the penalty kill or on the power play. Marleau can score, too, having notched 52 goals combined over the past two seasons while hitting at least 20 goals 14 times in his career.