As the Toronto Maple Leafs are no longer the "Toronto Maple Laughs," something that started trending on Twitter was Patrick Marleau putting on a Toronto Maple Leafs Jersey. Patrick Marleau signed a 3-year, $18.75 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs at the beginning of July 2017. Patrick Marleau is representing his Canadian pride with the photo he posted with his children. Marleau was born in Aneroid, Sk, Canada. It is always great to have a Canadian player on a Canadian team.

Why Marleau is perfect for the Leafs

Some might have questioned Marleau coming to the Leafs as he is up there in age (37).

But, Marleau will be the perfect fit for the team. This is because he brings leadership, he is a veteran, and he has skills. His leadership will be needed as the team is filled with many rookies. These rookies such as Matthews, Nylander, and Mariner need guidance. It will be perfect to have another leader on the team besides Babcock. Marleau will act almost as the assistant coach on the ice. Marleau has not missed a game since 2008, which shows that he is a strong and healthy player. He scored 27 goals, had 19 assists, and had 46 points in 82 games with the Sharks in the 2016/2017 season.

These numbers are better than average, that is for sure. Although many Sharks fans are probably sad to see him go, I think they understand why he is a perfect fit for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Looking at this photo from Twitter, it looks like Marleau has had pride for the Leafs since childhood. When you have a passion for something, you perform better at it. In this sense, maybe Marleau will carry this team since he is passionate about the Leafs and being Canadian.

Final words

Patrick will be a big influence on a very talented young team that could be winning the Stanley Cup in the next few years.

Leafs fans welcome Marleau with open arms. These Toronto fans don't want anything more than to have the Leafs win a Stanley Cup. The team has already shown improvement with making the playoffs last season with a team full of rookies. Mike Babcock has done a great job with the team so far and he should be proud, but he knows the team has a long way to go still.

The hope is that Marleau will help with production. When you are paying a player the big bucks you hope they will produce. Leafs fans need to hold tight as the team is not quite there in terms of winning the cup, but they are definitely moving in the right direction. Marleau is definitely a good pickup so we shall see what the 2017/2018 season looks like for the Leafs.
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