Sharks' Marleau gave Leafs' Marner lots of intel on Thornton

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Patrick Marleau made quite an impression on Mitch Marner, and now another player synonymous with the Sharks will have a chance to do the same.

Marleau, who played alongside Marner on the Toronto Maple Leafs for two seasons from 2017 through '19, has given the young winger a scouting report of sorts on veteran center Joe Thornton. Thornton signed with the Leafs this offseason as an unrestricted free agent after spending parts of the last 15 seasons in San Jose.

"Throughout Patty's time here he's talked to me and [Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews] a good amount about Jumbo," Marner told Sportsnet's "Tim & Sid" on Tuesday. "Just says ... [he] keeps everything light, has a great time, but on the ice, he's a competitive guy. He plays hard and he wants to win."

Marleau signed a three-year contract with the Maple Leafs in 2017 after spending the first 19 years of his career with the Sharks. The veteran forward hit it off with Marner and Matthews, both of whom are 18 years younger than Marleau, serving as a mentor in two seasons with the Leafs before the team traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes and the final year of his contract was bought out last summer.

Now, Thornton -- who, like Marleau, is 41 -- steps into the Leafs locker room as the sage veteran in pursuit of his first Stanley Cup. Toronto's championship drought, which stood at 40 years when Marleau signed, has lasted another three years.

Thornton will be motivated, having not played in an NHL game since the season was suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic -- though Thornton, a rink rat if there ever was one, is playing in Switzerland -- and missed out on the playoffs for just the fourth time in his career. So will the Leafs, after losing to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a best-of-five play-in series in the NHL's Toronto bubble this summer.

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Based on what Marleau has said to Marner, Thornton joining the Maple Leafs could be exactly what each of them needs.

"I'm excited," Marner continued. "I mean, everything I've heard about him, he just seems like an unbelievable dude, and Patty's always relayed that back to us. I'm excited to get talking to him, and as soon as he signed I sent him a big text saying, 'Super excited to have him,' and I think he's going to do a lot."

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