Toronto Maple Leafs: Assessing Viable Landing Spots for Patrick Marleau
By Kyle Cushman
Where in the world are the Toronto Maple Leafs going to send Patrick Marleau?
It’s the question all Toronto Maple Leafs fans are asking themselves, after “how much is Mitch Marner going to sign for?” and ” who is going to offer sheet all of our RFAs?”
Joking aside, the recent developments in a Patrick Marleau trade have come swiftly and unexpectedly. The fanbase went from anticipating a $6.25 million boat anchor on the fourth line, to making mock trades by the dozen in one five minute segment on a Saturday night.
The news that Marleau had moved back to San Jose and was willing to waive his no-trade clause to move closer to home was stunning. Nobody thought that Marleau would be willing to move on from the team he signed with in order to win a Stanley Cup.
Yet after two seasons, it seems both parties are fully prepared to move on. Marleau wants to go back home and the Toronto Maple Leafs are in need of cap space.
That should make a trade simple enough, right?
Marleau’s cap hit, want of moving closer to San Jose, and split signing bonus between July 1 and sometime in December severely limits general manager Kyle Dubas’ options. A team that has plenty of cap space and wants a veteran, such as the Ottawa Senators, are not a trading partner due to Marleau’s needs in a deal.
Of course, there are NHL teams relatively close to San Jose. Outside of the Sharks, six teams are within 1500km of San Jose.
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Some are intriguing fits, others are far from possibilities. The Vegas Golden Knights have their own cap issues and are looking to move David Clarkson. If there were any team in the NHL that was least likely to trade for Patrick Marleau, it would be the team already $5 million away from the ceiling. Then there’s a team like Vancouver who has the cap space but has never been involved in a cap dump trade under the current regime, and it doesn’t look like it’s changing anytime soon.
While Vegas and Vancouver are not likely trading partners, it does show that Dubas is not limited to one team to make a Marleau trade. He does have options, though limited, and his hands will not be tied.
Patrick Marleau’s exit from Toronto will be fascinating. Until we see the Leafs PR tweet, we won’t know for sure how it’s going down, but for now, here’s an evaluation of five potential trade candidates.