Patrick Marleau has some high praise for a former teammate

Veteran forward Patrick Marleau may be focused on preparing for a return to play and a potential Stanley Cup run with the Pittsburgh Penguins - who acquired him this season from the San Jose Sharks ahead of the trade deadline - but that did not stop the 40-year old from making some very interesting comments about a former teammate on Saturday.

First, I feel I must preface this by stating that when evaluating NHL talent, you have to understand what it takes to succeed at the NHL level, something that a player of Marleau's ilk surely does. The veteran of over 1700 NHL games has vast experience and extensive knowledge of the game amassed over a 22-season tenure in the NHL, so when he speaks so highly of a young budding star player like Mitch Marner, you tend to want to listen.

Marleau had the pleasure of playing with Marner in Toronto from 2017-2019 before being traded to Carolina to open up some cap space for the Leafs to sign the latter to a 6-year, $65.358M contract. Marleau had the pleasure of not only mentoring Marner, he also watched the youngster blossom into a legitimate star player and developed a close personal friendship with the now 23-year-old.

"He amazes me," Marleau commented on Sportsnet 590's 'The Fan' on Friday. "I just love watching him play. I think the way he skates, the way he sees the ice, the way he creates space for himself, and that goes into his skating, is amazing.

"I've been trying to, like, OK, well ... 'he does this, he does that,' and you try and go and replicate it and ... it's not as easy as it looks, that's for sure. But it's something he's been working on, I'm sure, all his life."

Marleau has had the pleasure of playing alongside one of the NHL's elite centermen for a long time in "Jumbo" Joe Thornton, a player who, according to Marleau, Marner is beginning to remind him of.

"He's kind of like [Thornton] in a way," Marleau said, "where he can have a great time and then, you know, flip that switch, as soon as he's on the ice, it's all business. He knows those different moments where he can relax and have some fun, but he's also very passionate and very focused on being one of the best players in the League, I think, and winning.

"I think a lot of people cannot see that part because they always look at the happy and smiling and that. But he's very focused, very committed."

When you have the poise, dedication and work ethic of a player like Joe Thornton, at least in the eyes of one of his best friends, you have to be doing something right.

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