On Tuesday, the Nashville Predators kick started their off-season with the trade of defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who headed back to his former team the Tampa Bay Lightning. Now, unsurprisingly, the move has been linked to Nashville's interest in Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner, as the team now have more assets to make a potential deal with Toronto.
With Craig Berube now coming in, the interest level in a Marner deal for Toronto is entirely unclear, but given that he's a free agent in the summer of 2025, it makes sense to try and move him now. Right from the moment the team lost to the Bruins in seven games, the Predators have been a team linked to Marner, and after clearing $26 million in cap space and adding yet another valuable draft pick, the dots are certainly connecting.
A potential deal between the two teams won't be easy, especially with Marner carrying a NMC, but if the Predators are interested in acquiring the prolific forward, all signs are pointing towards that as a major possibility over the next few months.
