The Carolina Hurricanes will buy out the final year of Patrick Marleau's contract, general manager Don Waddell told Luke DeCock of the News & Observer on Thursday.

Carolina acquired the 39-year-old from the Toronto Maple Leafs via trade at the draft and owes Marleau his $3-million signing bonus plus $833,333 split over the next two years, DeCock adds.

The Leafs packaged Marleau along with a conditional first-round pick and a seventh-rounder in 2020 to offload his $6.25-million cap hit and received a sixth-round selection in return.

Marleau hasn't missed a game since the 2008-09 campaign and registered 16 goals and 21 assists for Toronto last season. It's widely expected that he's seeking a return to the San Jose Sharks, with whom he spent the first 19 years of his career.

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