After last season’s playoff disappointment in losing to St. Louis, the San Jose Sharks could use a spark this offseason. Patrick Marleau was a major non-factor in that playoff disaster being held pointless in the five-game series and rumors are floating around about him being moved.
David Pollak of the Mercury News asked if he would entertain the thought of waiving his no-movement clause for the right deal. Marleau’s mind isn’t quite there yet.
At the end of the season, I asked Marleau if he might be willing to waive whatever no-movement clause he has in his contract if Doug Wilson approached him with a possible trade partner.
“We’ll cross that bridge if it ever comes up,” Marleau said, leaving a little wiggle room.
I decided it was time for a follow-up call, reached Marleau, reminded him of his earlier response and asked if the issue has come up this week.
“I’m not at that bridge,” was his stick-to-the-metaphor response.
Oh Patrick, you jokester.
Marleau’s earned a reputation for disappearing in the postseason through his career and you could say he’s the face of the franchise when it comes to always falling short of the Stanley Cup. That said, his regular season production remains top-notch and he’s 32 years-old. If the Sharks are going to move him, they might be doing so at their own peril.