It wasn't an easy decision for Patrick Marleau to leave the organization that drafted him 20 years ago.

Speaking on Toronto's TSN 1050 on Monday, Marleau said he and his family spent a week weighing the pros and cons of parting ways with the San Jose Sharks as a free agent, making use of several notebooks to do so.

In the end, the Maple Leafs won out for several reasons.

"It came down to the excitement, the management there, the coaching staff, all the excitement around the team, the players that they have there now, the players that are going to be coming up in their system," he said.

"It just felt right."

Mike Babcock played a big role in recruiting the veteran winger, and the coach's belief in him played a huge role in the decision-making process.

"I know him from the Olympics, and I know he's going to expect a lot out of me. I've go to put in the work and prove him right. That's my job and that's what I'm looking forward to doing."

Marleau added the up-and-coming Leafs are now seen as a team guys want to play for, and he feels he has plenty left in the tank to help the team rise to the top.

"Whatever my age is, I don't feel that old," said Marleau, who'll turn 38 on Sept. 15. "I feel like I'm still full of piss and vinegar, and I know that these kids they have here are full of it. I'm going to feed off of it and use it to my advantage."

Marleau also talked specifically about Auston Matthews, calling him "a special, special player" who would be "awesome" to play with.

He leaves the Sharks as the club's all-time leader in games played, goals, and total points in hopes of adding a Stanley Cup to his bio before he calls it a career.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.