Patrick Marleau, left wing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, is a very likeable and admirable guy. By all accounts, he’s a father figure in the Leafs’ locker room. His career has been extremely impressive and, were he to win a Cup, he would have an outside chance at making the Hockey Hall of Fame. Let’s hope he does it.
Unfortunately, though, Father Time is undefeated, and while Patrick Marleau has done as much as any athlete can to ward it off, it has taken its toll on the 39-year-old. He’s still a decent NHL player, and might still hit 40 points this season, but his play has clearly fallen off; if he does fall short of 40, it’ll be his lowest total in a full year since he was a rookie.