Patrick Marleau returns to guide San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks made waves this offseason when they opted to let team captain Joe Pavelski walk in free agency. Coming off an impressive 38 goal campaign, Pavelski will take his talents to an already potent Dallas Stars team that looks to make another deep playoff run.
The gap left in San Jose by Pavelski’s departure was a difficult one to fill. Sharks fans saw the heart and soul of their team depart after after twelve seasons in teal.
The team, however, had no time to dwell on their loss. They quickly named Logan Couture their next captain and readied as best they could for the upcoming season. After another deep playoff run that ultimately fell short, the Sharks will now look to the squad’s young core for answers.
Through four games, however, the team has looked flat. San Jose was beaten by the Vegas Golden Knights in back to back games to begin their season by scores of 4-1 and 5-1, respectively.
The Sharks hoped that a trip to Aneheim would result in their first victory, but the team was dispatched easily by the Ducks 3-1.
Going into a hostile environment in Nashville with an 0-3-0 record was a daunting task and proved to be too much for the Sharks as they lost their fourth straight game to open their season in a 5-2 loss at the hands of the Nashville Predators.
Before the Sharks ended their first road trip of the 2019-2020 campaign, general manager Doug Wilson knew he had to provide a spark and give his team some positive momentum. Enter Patrick Marleau. The National Hockey League great was drafted second overall by San Jose in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft and enjoyed 19 seasons in teal until his departure for Toronto before the 2017-2018 season.
Now, two years removed from saying goodbye to Patrick Marleau, San Jose gets to say welcome back. Marleau signed with the Sharks on Oct. 9 and made his season debut the next day. Marleau’s presence revitalized San Jose’s offense and he went on to score two goals in his return to the Sharks, leading them to their first victory of the season, a 5-4 win in Chicago.
San Jose finally got to celebrate Patrick’s return in an emotional night this past Monday at SAP Center at San Jose. There, the stadium affectionately known as The Shark Tank packed in 16,250 fans to welcome home their hero. After a tear-jerking video presentation welcoming Marleau and his family back to Sharks Territory, the team played an inspired three periods against division rival Calgary, defeating the Flames by a final score of 3-1.
Only time will tell what long-term impact(s) Marleau’s return will have on the team, but the Sharks have won both of their games since his return and, at the time of writing, have a tough matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes tonight, Oct. 16, at the Shark Tank.