Sharks Re-Sign Marleau and Pavelski

[Thrillhouse]

SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the club has re-signed Group III un-restricted free agent forward Patrick Marleau and Group II restricted free agent forward Joe Pavelski to four-year contracts. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deals was not disclosed.

“We are very pleased that Patty and Joe have committed to this organization now and in the future,” said Wilson. “They expressed a strong belief in the direction this franchise is heading but also understand the challenges to keeping a talented group like ours together.

“Both players had a tremendous regular season, excelled on the ice for their respective countries at the Winter Olympics and elevated their game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They have solidified their place in the game among the League’s top forwards and we are excited as an organization to have Joe and Patty back in San Jose to build on what we accomplished last season.”

Marleau, 30, recently completed his 12th NHL season, all of which have been played in San Jose. He ranks first on the all-time team’s list in nearly every offensive category, including games played (953), goals (320), assists (373), points (693), power play goals (97), game-winning goals (59) and shots (2,194).

Last season, Marleau set a career-high with 44 goals which tied for the second-most ever by a Sharks player in a single season (Nolan, 99-00). He finished fourth in the NHL in goals and 14th in the League in points (83). For the second consecutive season, Marleau was selected as the “Sharks Player of the Year” in a vote by the Bay Area media.

In addition, Marleau scored his 300th and 301st career NHL goals on Dec. 26 vs. Anaheim. He appeared in his 900th career game Dec. 1 vs. Ottawa and scored two goals. He became the fastest Shark to reach 30 goals in a season (47 games), surpassing Jonathan Cheechoo’s mark (50 games) from 2005-06. Marleau tied his career-high with a nine-game point streak from Oct. 17 - Nov. 4 and was named the NHL “Third Star of the Week” by recording nine points in four games from Oct. 19 - 25.

In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Marleau helped lead the Sharks to the Western Conference Final, posting 13 points (eight goals, five assists) in 14 games. He scored the game-winning goals in Games Four (in overtime) and Five against the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Semi-Finals. He also added five goals in four games against the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference Final.

His eight playoff goals ranked him in a tie for tenth in the postseason and his three power play goals were also tied for tenth. Since the start of the 2003-04 season, Marleau has scored the third-most playoff goals of any NHL player (34).

Marleau was selected to represent Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver where he captured the gold medal and recorded five points in seven games. He also represented Canada at the 1999, 2001, 2003 (gold medal) and 2005 (silver medal) IIHF Men’s World Ice Hockey Championships. He was named to Canada’s gold-medal winning 2004 World Cup of Hockey squad but did not play.

The six-foot-two, 220-pound native of Aneroid, Saskatchewan was originally selected by San Jose in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft (1st round, 2nd overall) one spot behind teammate Joe Thornton (Boston, 1st overall).

Pavelski, 25, posted 51 points in 2009-10, including tying his career-high in goals (25) while playing in only 67 games. He missed 15 games with a broken foot, suffered on Oct. 6 at Los Angeles. Finishing sixth on the team in scoring, his 25 goals ranked third on San Jose. Pavelski finished the regular season fourth in the NHL in faceoff percentage (58.1%).

In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Pavelski led the team in goals (nine) and points (17) as well as plus/minus (+6), power-play goals (five) and game-winning goals (three) in 15 games. In the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Colorado Avalanche, he scored the game-tying goal with less than a minute left in Game Two, netted the game-winning goal in overtime in Game Three and the game-winning, series-clinching goal in Game Six. He added two goals against the Detroit Red Wings in Games One and Two of the Western Conference Semi-Finals.

Overall, his 17 postseason points tied him for 12th in the NHL and his nine goals ranked tied-for-seventh.

Pavelski was selected to represent the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, posting three assists and a +2 plus/minus rating in six games en route to winning the silver medal.

The five-foot-eleven, 190-pound native of Plover, Wisconsin was selected by San Jose in the seventh round (205th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

[Ciccarelli]

Good signing. Marleau should remain a Shark until he retires. He is the Yzerman of the Sharks IMO.

[Jack Schitt]

Good. I was getting sick of all the Marleau to ________ speculation.

[Grittzkey]

the three most ovepayed chokers are now together on one team for the rest of their careers.. YAYYYY

-- Also; To many this means nothing but maybe there is a sign and trade going on with SJ. Patty may be headed to Ottawa for Spezza. That is my thought for the day. Rumors say Spezza is headed to SJ. So I dont see how this is out of the realm.

[Chiefs for Life]

Originally Posted by Grittzkey

the three most ovepayed chokers are now together on one team for the rest of their careers.. YAYYYY

-- Also; To many this means nothing but maybe there is a sign and trade going on with SJ. Patty may be headed to Ottawa for Spezza. That is my thought for the day. Rumors say Spezza is headed to SJ. So I dont see how this is out of the realm.

Don't think Marleau is going to sign anywere with out a no trade clause, most of the big names all insist on them...

[Chiefs for Life]

Marleau is getting 27.6 million for 4 years, 6.9 million a season......

Pavelski is getting 16 million over the next four years, good cap hit for a solid forward.....

[The Woodsman]

I consider that pretty high for Marleau, but good value for Pavelski.

How much do people expect Setoguchi to earn on his next contract? I imagine he is worth at least 3M per season to some team out there.

[NickDoh]

kinda figured marleau was staying when they let nabokov go. makes the kings situation more interesting with marleau out of the picture now.

[canuckfan]

Kind of figured this would happen - I don't think Marleau is the guy the Sharks want to let go if they want to further shake up their nucleus.

I wouldn't be surprised if Wilson shops Thornton around this summer, especially given the fact Joe is a UFA in 2011. Thats the news I'm expecting to hear sometime in the next 2 or 3 months....

On another note, thats another pending marquee free agent who's now unavailable come July 1. Aside from wherever Kovalchuk ends up, the first day of free agency is shaping up to be a boring one this summer.

[DaleHunter32]

6.9 for marleu makes plekanic's 5m per deal look a lot worse for the habs now

good job by the sharks to get them signed....

[Chiefs for Life]

Originally Posted by DaleHunter32

6.9 for marleu makes plekanic's 5m per deal look a lot worse for the habs now

good job by the sharks to get them signed....

Now that Plekanec an Marleau off the market who is left that are UFA's, that play the center postion, guess to say the two best centers are gone, an if either of these guys would have hit the open market there would have been a bidding war for them...... Guess only time will tell if these deals were worth while.... but I also guess that people around here who don't like certain players or teams are keeping there fingers crossed that they fail......

[The Woodsman]

Originally Posted by Chiefs for Life

Now that Plekanec an Marleau off the market who is left that are UFA's, that play the center postion, guess to say the two best centers are gone, an if either of these guys would have hit the open market there would have been a bidding war for them...... Guess only time will tell if these deals were worth while.... but I also guess that people around here who don't like certain players or teams are keeping there fingers crossed that they fail......

I am wondering if teams who had planned on making a pitch to one of these guys will now set their sights on acquiring Spezza via trade.

[Chiefs for Life]

Originally Posted by moxie

I am wondering if teams who had planned on making a pitch to one of these guys will not set their sets on acquiring Spezza via trade.

Ottawa is in a position of power now.... Ottawa is going to be asking the moon for Spezza, an they are not going to settle for the short end of the stick, So if somebody wants Spezza they better be willing to pay.....

[chilly666]

marleau reportedly has a no-movement clause in his deal