Given the unfortunate mix of poor production, lackluster effort and terrible defensive play, combined with his high expectations and multi-million dollar salary, Patrick Marleau would have to be in the running for worst player in the National Hockey League this season. He also happens to be San Jose's captain, which only adds to the disappointment.
One thing is certain - it's hard to think of anybody in the league being a bigger distraction than Marleau. Every one of his teammates is aware of his struggles, and it changes the way they play around him, the way they converse around him. Players are reluctant to discuss the captain's struggles, and when they do point out the weaknesses in his play when talking to a reporter they make a point of following it up with a whisper or two about how good a guy he is, careful not to make waves.
There are a number of matchups people focus on each night. The most common are the starting goaltenders, power play vs. penalty kill, or checking line vs. scoring line. However, it's interesting to focus on captain vs. captain. Marleau has squared off against another team's captain (or acting captain) in 47 games this season. He's scored more points than the opposing captain 11 times, while being outscored 17 times. This takes into account all captains, including players like Adam Foote and Rob Blake. The numbers get even worse when you take plus-minus into account. Marleau has finished with a better plus-minus than an opposing captain 14 times, while he's been on the short end of the stick 22 times.
Overall, through 47 games, the Sharks captain has eight goals, 15 assists, 23 points and he's sitting at -20. Meanwhile, opposing captains have a combined 13 goals, 18 assists, 31 points and a +6 plus-minus in those 47 games. Those numbers look pretty bad, but the worst part is that Marleau is playing his worst hockey of the season. He has eight points and a -18 plus-minus over his last 17 games. He's only outscored an opposing captain twice in those 17 games and he hasn't recorded a better plus-minus than an opposing captain since a 3-2 win over the Kings on Dec. 26.
Only two of the captains Marleau's faced this season currently have a lower point total. One of them is defensive defenseman Adam Foote, who has only 12 points through 49 games. The other is Joe Sakic, who only has 22 points. But Sakic has played 23 fewer games than Marleau this season because of injury. Ouch.
Marleau's failures appear to be contagious, affecting the entire organization. He's made his linemates worse, and the coaching staff's reluctance to take any action has only worsened the problem. Coaches and management have given Marleau the benefit of the doubt, a decision that's proven to be disastrous on a team full of youngsters.
They ignore the problem, hoping it will turn around over time. They call at patience rather than avoidance. In turn, the youngsters see a struggling captain, putting in a marginal effort without any consequences. He shows up every day, sees his same 18 minutes a night, and collects a nice paycheck. Welcome to the NHL kid, develop a solid reputation and you can pull off anything. And people wonder why every forward aside from Torrey Mitchell and Jeremy Roenick has taken a step backward this season.
It's all symptomatic of a team that doesn't play to win. They play not to lose, on and off the ice, avoiding risk at all costs and any move people could second-guess. Meanwhile, the team spirals downward, relying on their best individual efforts and trying to ignore the worst.
We all know the options the Sharks have. The first is to strip Marleau of the captaincy, giving it to someone who's shown some heart or leadership ability. Thornton, Rivet and Roenick are all fine choices, leading on the ice and taking it upon themselves to step up when things aren't going well. Marleau isn't captain material, plain and simple. NHL captains don't have their leadership abilities questioned year after year.
The second option is to sit Marleau for a couple games, giving him the chance to get his head on straight. Maybe he needs some time to sort things out, and watching from the press box might send a message to both player and team that nobody is above consequences for a poor effort. This probably should have happened a couple months ago, but everyone was happy to drink the kool-aid, and management was quick to remind us it was still early in the season, that the second half would bring productivity.
The third option is the one I believe they should follow through with. There's a plane flying out of San Jose International every couple minutes. Whether he's heading to Buffalo, Toronto or any other Eastern Conference city, make sure Marleau's on one of them before the trade deadline. The sooner the better.
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