By Jordan Long
The San Jose Sharks have one of the worst records to start the NHL season. They are 0-4 looking for their first victory tomorrow when they play the Chicago Blackhawks. They agreed to a contract with forward Patrick Marleau in hopes of boosting the offense.
San Jose can’t score this season. They are having difficulty shooting the puck past the goaltender. Even if San Jose shoots the puck on net, they aren’t able to reach the rebounds for goals. San Jose is 29th in the league, scoring 1.25 goals per game.
The Sharks power play isn’t doing much this season. When they try to set the power play up, opponents are blocking shots or taking the puck away from skaters and firing it to the other end of the ice. Once San Jose has a shot on the power play, it is saved by the goaltender. Their power play percentage is a disappointing 5.9%, ranking them 25th in the league. The other 6 teams behind them have yet to score on the power play.
San Jose is hoping Marleau will solve some of these issues on offense, agreeing to a 1-year contract with him worth $700,000, the league minimum. This is Marleau’s second stint with the San Jose Sharks. His first lasted from 1997 to 2017. He is the franchise leader in goals, scoring 508, and points with 1,082.
Marleau is a scorer who can help the San Jose Sharks win games. He spent the last 2 years with the Maple Leafs. Last season Marleau didn’t play well, scoring 16 goals and adding 21 assists for 37 points, his lowest total since 2013 when he totaled 31 points.
What helped Toronto was his ability to score on the power play. Marleau skated in front of the goaltender for rebound chances or tip-ins. He also passed to a wide-open teammate for them to score. He scored 4 goals and added 6 assists on the power play.
The Sharks expect Marleau to improve the offense. He can still use his speed to create scoring chances. The power play needs work and Marleau might be able to improve it by setting up down low. There he could shoot the puck for goals or pass to his teammates for them to light the lamp.
The downside is his age. Marleau is 40 years old, way past his prime. Marleau may struggle and isn’t the fast skater he once was. If he plays poorly, the Sharks will have to make the tough decision to let him go. For now, it seems like Marleau should help this team out to win games.
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