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San Jose is also a team that will not spend to the cap. They are a budget team like Columbus. They made a huge acquisition in defenseman Brian Campbell at the deadline, giving up this year's first-round pick and 2003 first-round pick Steve Bernier. Moving Marleau's salary would free up plenty of money to sign Campbell long term.
So back to Howson. Does he make a play for him? You bet your Blue Jacket behind he does. The key though is how does the organization think he'll mesh with Nash? If we do acquire him, which I think there is a really good chance, we'll know they are optimistic although nothing is guaranteed of course.
Look, any center who will be on the market is going to have some flaws. If he didn't, then he wouldn't be on the market. This includes Richards' $7.8 million contract or Marleau's inconsistency and lack of intensity during the regular season. The point is that unless we draft it, we ain't gonna get a picture-perfect guy.
Marleau certainly wouldn't be my first choice, but my first choice won't be available..unless you think the Pens would trade Sidney Crosby? He would, however, be a massive upgrade down the middle of our lineup. This isn't a 35-year-old Russian center on the downside of his career, with three years at $6 million left on his deal we are talking about here. This a 28 year old just now in his prime.
That said, if we did acquire him, there would certainly be some questions to be answered. How would he respond to being traded to a team and city like Columbus?
How would he respond to Hitch? Would there be chemistry between he and Nash? Would he just sleepwalk through the season if he were disgruntled? The last thing we want is a 28-year-old Fedorov on our hands, right?
Assuming the Jackets' interest, the question becomes what's it gonna take to get him?
The good news for the Jackets and Howson is that the Sharks don't have a draft pick, through the first three rounds of the draft. Draft picks are exactly what the Jackets have in spades including two humdingers (did I just say humdingers?) in the first round—sixth and 19th overall.
They also have the cap space to absorb Marleau's $6.2 million in salary over the next two years as well as expendable assets.
So what's it gonna take?
Well, we know the Sharks want picks. I've also read that they need a Top Six winger. We've got the picks and we've also got, in my view, an expendable winger.
If I'm Howson, I start with the 19th pick or Nik Zherdev and work a package from there. No way will I part with the sixth overall pick in this deep of draft to obtain a good (but not elite) talent that we could lose for nothing in two years.
Some potentials:
A. 19th + Third + Fifth for Marleau
B. Zherdev + Third for Marleau
or
C. 19th + (take your pick of Brule/Fritsche/Tollefsen) for Marleau
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