Is this Marleau’s last skate for the Sharks?

Is this Marleau’s last skate for the Sharks?

A franchise icon since being drafted second overall in 1997,

Marleau has one year left on his contract with San Jose and never completely squelched an early season report suggesting he’d requested a trade.

The Sharks face nothing but elimination games the rest of the way, whether they hoist the Cup following a Game 7 on Wednesday or fall short beforehand.

Salary cap restraints, the emergence of younger players and roles continuing to evolve necessitate change.

“Usually groups don’t stay together two years in a row,” Sharks forward Chris Tierney said.

Marleau, who has played a combined 1,580 regular-season and playoff games for the Sharks, would be the headliner from a group of possible departures.

Due to be paid $6.5 million next season (a $6.667 million cap hit), it’s certainly not a given that Marleau can be moved.

[...] if his intentions are to leave, it’s likely the Sharks would find a deal.

The durable Marleau has played every game for seven straight seasons.

Marleau has scored 481 goals (92 game-winners) and 1,036 points in 1,411 regular-season games and added 65 goals and 116 points in 169 playoff games — all franchise record numbers.

In addition to Marleau, the team has five unrestricted free agents — forwards Dainius Zubrus, Nick Spaling, defensemen Roman Polak, Matt Tennyson and goalie James Reimer — in addition to restricted free agents Matt Nieto, Tomas Hertl, both forwards, and defenseman Dylan DeMelo.

Maybe we can talk about that later, Sharks forward said Tommy Wingels, reiterating it’s all about Game 5.

Unlike other years when you have to make a lot of changes you have the ability to keep it together and improve.

Without control of the future, and with their ultimate goal still in sight despite the uphill challenge, the Sharks want to delay the inevitable as long as possible.

“I’m proud this group has made it this far and this group has been given the opportunity to play for a Stanley Cup,” Wingels said.

Penguins 3, Sharks 2

Penguins 2, Sharks 1 (OT)

Sharks 3, Penguins 2 (OT)

Penguins 3, Sharks 1