Maple Leafs Trade Patrick Marleau to Hurricanes for 2020 Draft Pick
The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded forward Patrick Marleau to the Carolina Hurricanes, the team announced on Saturday.
The Maple Leafs also sent Carolina a conditional first-round pick and a seventh-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft in exchange for a sixth-round pick.
"Thank you to the Maple Leafs Organization, the city of Toronto and to the loyal Leaf fans for welcoming my family and I to Toronto," Marleau wrote in statement on Twitter. "It was my honor to play with the iconic Maple Leag on my jersey, and to be a part of Leaf nation."
According to NHL Network's Chris Johnston, Marleau has waived his no-move clause and would like to return to San Jose in free agency. The Hurricanes will try to convince him to play for the team, but if the answer is no, Carolina is expected to buy out Marleau, per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.
Marleau was drafted by the San Jose Sharks with the No. 2 overall pick in the 1997 draft. He was acquired by the Maple Leafs after signing as a free agent with Toronto on July 2, 2017.
Marleau, 39, posted 37 points (16 goals, 21 assists) in 82 games during the 2018-19 season with the Maple Leafs before adding a pair of assists in seven playoff games.
As for the Maple Leafs, the move opens up cap space to re-sign RFAs Mitch Marner, Andreas Johnsson and Kaspari Kapanen. Marner was Toronto's leading scorer last season, but reports indicate that there is no guarantee the Maple Leafs would match an offer sheet should he seek them out from other teams.
"I don't think there's any fear in addressing it. If it happens, it happens," Toronto GM Kyle Dubas told ESPN. "...Where they fit in our internal economics, we'll see. I hope it never comes to that. But I also don't think it benefits to shy away from the fact that it may happen."