Marleau, 40, is signed through the 2019-20 season and his contract carries an average annual value of $700,000.
"Patrick is a player who can play anywhere in our lineup," said Rutherford. "He's a good two-way player, provides leadership and will be a good fit with our team."
A three-time NHL All-Star in 2004, '07, and '09, the 40-year-old Marleau is currently in his 22nd NHL season (20 with San Jose and two with Toronto) and has played the fifth-most games in NHL history at 1,715. He is currently only 52 games shy of tying Gordie Howe's record for most games played all-time.
Throughout his illustrious career, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound winger has ascended the ranks on multiple all-time NHL lists, including:
Marleau also served as the captain of the Sharks for five seasons (2003-09), and was an alternate captain for both San Jose (2002-03, 2009-16) and Toronto (2017-19).
A native of Aneroid, Saskatchewan, Marleau has spent the 2019-20 campaign with the Sharks, where he's skated in 58 games and registered 10 goals, 10 assists and 20 points. He is currently one of three active players, and one of 14 players all-time, to play at least one game in four different decades when he suited up for his first game of the 2020 calendar year, which came against the Penguins on Jan. 2.
A staple in Marleau's game over the course of his career has been his durability. He has dressed in 846 consecutive games, which is currently the fifth-longest iron-man streak in NHL history, and second-longest active streak behind Florida's Keith Yandle.
Marleau has hit the 20-goal plateau 15 times in his 22-year career, seven of which were 30-goal seasons. He scored a career-high 44 goals in 2009-10, which was good for fourth-most in the league and was seven less than Sidney Crosby, who won the Rocket Richard Trophy for most NHL goals that season (51). He has also registered 50 or more points 11 times, which includes a career-high 86 points (34G-52A) in 2005-06.
The left-handed shooting winger has picked up 127 points (72G-55A) in 191 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, which is the most among all active players and 24th-most in NHL history. His 72 playoff goals are tied for 14th-most in NHL history, and his four overtime goals in the postseason are tied for fifth-most all-time. He appeared in 24 playoff games for San Jose during the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs, eventually falling to the Penguins in the six games in the Stanley Cup Final.
Drafted in the first round (2nd overall) in the 1997 NHL Draft, Marleau has appeared internationally for Team Canada on multiple occasions, including winning two gold medals with teammate Sidney Crosby at the 2010 and '14 Olympics. He has also medaled three times at the World Championship, winning two Golds ('03, '04) and one Silver ('05).
