Rumor: Patrick Marleau is being linked to another Canadian team.

Well this is certainly an interesting rumor, one that I must admit is seemingly coming completely out of left field. 

The saga surrounding National Hockey League veteran Patrick Marleau this summer has certainly been an interesting one, and it now sounds like its about to get an interesting new chapter. Marleau of course began the summer as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, but it became very clear very quickly that both he and the Maple Leafs organization were ready to move on. So that is what they did. 

The Maple Leafs initiated a trade that would send Marleau to the Carolina Hurricanes, a trade that saw the Leafs pull in relatively little return. It was a move obviously designed as a pure salary dump for the Maple Leafs but by all accounts the Hurricanes attempted to entice Marleau into playing the final year of his deal with their organization. As much as the Hurricanes may have prefered that outcome, by all accounts Marleau never truly entertained the thought of playing in Raleigh next season, instead forcing the Hurricanes to buyout the final year of his contract. 

According to every report we had heard up until today it seemed as though Marleau was dead set on making his return to southern California. The veteran forward played the overwhelming majority of his career as a member of the San Jose Sharks and it seemed it would be a fitting way to wrap up his career, with one final chapter as a Shark. The fact is however that Marleau still has not received a contract offer, and now one reporter is linking the future Hall of Fame forward to a Canadian franchise

From the Edmonton Journal:

There is a fair bit of quality remaining in the UFA camp in terms of players who are still capable of filling specific roles…at least for one more season. One of those is Patrick Marleau. It has been reported that the former Shark and Leaf would be interested in signing in Edmonton. After all, it is one of the clubs looking for a veteran forward who could flesh out its roster. 

New Oilers general manager Ken Holland has already pulled off some pretty miraculous moves this summer for the Oilers, could adding Marleau be another one of those moves?