Sharks bring back old friends Marleau, Nieto on one-year deals

The Sharks are bringing a couple of familiar faces back to the Bay.

On Tuesday, the Sharks announced the team agreed to one-year contracts with both Patrick Marleau and Matt Nieto.

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Marleau, a franchise icon, returned to the Sharks last offseason before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins at the deadline.

The 41-year-old forward is the Sharks' all-time leader in points (1,102), goals (518), power-play goals (161), game-winning goals (101) and games played (1,551).

“Patrick is one of the most iconic players in San Jose Sharks history, as well as being one of the most respected veterans in the National Hockey League,” general manager Doug Wilson said in a press release. “The leadership he brings on and off the ice has been well documented over his fantastic NHL career and his competitive fire to win is still burning strong. Patrick’s lead-by-example demeanor is inspiring and continues to resonate with our group of younger players.”

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Last season for the Sharks, Marleau recorded 20 points (10 points,10 assists) in 58 games before being traded to Pittsburgh.

Marleau is 45 games shy of passing Gordie Howe's NHL record of 1,767 games played.

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As for Nieto, he returns to San Jose after playing the past three-plus seasons for the Colorado Avalanche. Nieto was drafted by the Sharks in 2011 and played in all 16 games during the Sharks' run to the 2016 Stanley Cup Final.

“Matt’s a player we’re obviously familiar with having been here for our Stanley Cup Final run in 2016 and he plays with speed and energy,” Wilson said. “His quickness and defensive responsibility made him one of the top penalty killers on Colorado and we feel that those assets, along with his decision making and playmaking, will bring a lot of elements to our team. We’re excited to have Matt back in San Jose.”

Last season, Nieto recorded 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) and had a career-high plus-seven rating.

The Sharks are looking to rebound quickly after a dismal season and they hope that two old friends can help bring the good times back to The Tank.