Patrick Marleau left the San Jose Sharks to sign an $18.75 million, three-year deal Sunday with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Marleau will count $6.25 million against the salary cap through the 2019-20 season and was given a full no-movement clause by General Manager Lou Lamoriello.

Marleau, 37, was considered one of the top free agents available and had been considering his options. Marleau spent his first 19 seasons with the Sharks and San Jose hasn’t played a game without him since April 7, 2009.

Marleau, the second overall pick in 1997, has 508 goals and 574 assists for 1,082 points in 1,493 NHL games. He had 46 points in playing all 82 games last season as he rebounded from a disappointing 2015-16 season by scoring 27 goals, including the 500th of his career.

The signing of Marleau put the spotlight back on Joe Thornton’s status with the Sharks. Thornton was a free agent, but hours after Marleau left, Thornton decided to remain with the Sharks and signed a new deal.

CAPITALS: Washington re-signed center Evgeny Kuznetsov to a $62.4 million, eight-year deal and made room by trading Marcus Johansson to New Jersey.

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Kuznetsov will count $7.8 million against the salary cap through 2024-25. That’s a heavy price for a team that will have to make moves to ice a full roster under the $75 million cap.

CANADIENS: Montreal signed goaltender Carey Price to an eight-year contract extension. Price’s new contract begins in 2018-19 and runs through 2025-26.

KNIGHTS-BLACKHAWKS: Two weeks after not selecting Marcus Kruger in the NHL expansion draft, Vegas gave up future considerations to acquire him in a trade with Chicago.

BRUINS: Boston signed depth defenseman Paul Postma, formerly of Winnipeg, on a one-year deal at $725,000, and prolific AHL scorer Kenny Agostino on a one-year deal worth $875,000.


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