The Maple Leafs traded Marleau to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday along with a conditional first-round pick and a seventh-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft for a sixth-round pick in 2020. The forward, who had 37 points (16 goals, 21 assists) this season, has one season remaining on a three-year , $18.75 million contract (average annual value of $6.25 million) he signed with Toronto on July 2, 2017.
"It's impossible to quantify what he brought," Dubas said of Marleau, who turns 40 on Sept. 15. "He was unbelievable with our group in the dressing room, off the ice, on the road, you saw it every day, in addition to his contributions to the team on the ice. When you look back on the history of how the Maple Leafs have developed and progressed, Patrick Marleau's contributions are going to be seen as massive. Just the professionalism and calmness he brought to the rink every day and imparted on our young players who are going to be the core of our team for a long time, we can't thank him enough."
The Maple Leafs are no closer to moving Nikita Zaitsev than they were when reports surfaced May 30 that the defenseman requested to be traded, according to Dubas.
"I don't think it's guaranteed at all (that Zaitsev will be traded)," Dubas said. "We've told [Zaitsev and agent Dan Milstein] we will try to work with them and find a solution, but if we can't return a defenseman back and can't stay equal or improve the team, he will be back with the team. But right now, it's status quo."
Zaitsev, who turns 28 on Oct. 29, has five seasons remaining on a seven-year, $31.5 million contract (average annual value of $4.5 million) that he signed May 2, 2017.
