Mitch Marner has a strong idea what kind of teammate the Toronto Maple Leafs are getting in Joe Thornton - all thanks to Patrick Marleau.
Marner - and Auston Matthews - formed a strong friendship with Marleau during his two years in Blue and White. As a longtime teammate of Thornton's with the San Jose Sharks, Marleau gave Marner the rundown on Jumbo Joe.
"Throughout Patty's time here, he's talked to me and Auston a good amount about Jumbo, just says ... (he) keeps everything light, has a great time, but on the ice, he's a competitive guy. He plays hard, and he wants to win," Marner told Sportsnet's Tim and Sid on Tuesday.
"I'm excited. I mean, everything I've heard about him, he just seems like an unbelievable dude, and Patty's always relayed that back to us. I'm excited to get talking to him, and as soon as he signed, I sent him a big text saying, super excited to have him, and I think he's going to do a lot."
The Maple Leafs signed Thornton to a one-year contract for the league minimum of $700,000 this offseason. The 41-year-old tallied 31 points in 70 games with the Sharks last season, but he's just one year removed from a 51-point campaign.
Thornton also played 12 games with HC Davos of the Swiss League this year and registered 11 points. He left Davos on Monday to head to Toronto for the Leafs training camp.
While Thornton projects to serve as Toronto's third-line center, it remains to be seen what kind of impact he can still have on the ice. Off the ice, however, there's no questioning Thornton's character and leadership.
