Contender Preparing Draisaitl-Sized Offer for Mitch Marner Ahead of Free Agency
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The saga surrounding Mitch Marner's future free agency has taken a bit of a turn as sources have revealed the LA Kings are prepared to offer a gigantic contract.
Among the several teams looking to add Mitch Marner to their team this upcoming free agency, it seems that we keep hearing the same familiar faces being thrown out there, mainly Los Angeles, Vegas, Chicago and Anaheim.
He's going to be a hot commodity, which means that teams are going to need to impress him both competitively and financially.
Kings preparing "Draisaitl-esque offer" for Mitch Marner: James Mirtle
In a recent article for The Athletic, NHL Insider James Mirtle wrote about some intriguing storylines to watch this offseason in free agency starting on Canada Day.
He mentioned that the Kings are a team to watch and will prepare for a huge Mitch Marner offer; even if they're able to re-sign pending UFA Vladislav Gavrikov:
His asking price could top $8.5 million on a max-term deal, a considerable raise over the two-year, $5.875 million deal he is coming off.
As one executive said during the week, «we're all trying to find where the new normal is» with a rapidly rising salary cap, which will hit $113.5 million two seasons from now, a nearly 30 percent jump from 2024-25.
Gavrikov could definitely be someone who sets a new bar for a defensive defenseman, given that paradigm shift.
What's interesting is the Kings have enough cap room that they can pay that asking price and still go after Marner with a massive Draisaitl-like offer.
Which is why we have them as a top candidate to land the soon-to-be ex-Leaf. - James Mirtle
As one executive said during the week, «we're all trying to find where the new normal is» with a rapidly rising salary cap, which will hit $113.5 million two seasons from now, a nearly 30 percent jump from 2024-25.
Gavrikov could definitely be someone who sets a new bar for a defensive defenseman, given that paradigm shift.
What's interesting is the Kings have enough cap room that they can pay that asking price and still go after Marner with a massive Draisaitl-like offer.
Which is why we have them as a top candidate to land the soon-to-be ex-Leaf. - James Mirtle
It wouldn't be too shocking to see Marner end up in California, even with a higher tax rate than some other candidates. The fact is they can offer a great place to live, the financial incentive, and they are still relatively competitive even with a bit of an aging roster.
Does Mitch Marner deserve a Leon Draisaitl-esque deal?
It feels like 50/50 honestly. If a team feels like a 102-point player with elite playmaking and the dynamic offensive potential of Marner, then absolutely he'll get those offers.
He deserves to be rewarded for his regular season accomplishments no doubt, but when it comes to investing in Marner for the playoffs, is that going to end up costing whoever signs him?
Marner has 63 points in 70 playoff games, and for a guy who has made the postseason in every season he's been around; it's quite a low amount.
Sure it's not completely up to Marner, but if he wants to be paid as much as Draisaitl (or heck, as much as Mikko Rantanen) then he has to start being a reliable playoff contributor.
Comparatively, Draisaitl has 60 points over his last two postseasons, and while he does get the chance to play with Connor McDavid, Marner had Auston Matthews; it's not like he was hurting for additional support.
Even Rantanen had as many assists as Marner did points this season in the playoffs, and he's only making $12M.
It doesn't bode well for a team to invest so much time and money into a player who has consistently shown he can't score when it matters, and if a few postseasons go by and Marner is still his lackadaisical self; at what point does it become a bad deal?
Do you wait another 5-6 years to hope he can pull it out, or do you panic and realize that you paid for an 82-game player, not a seven-game series impact player, and it wasn't all you hoped for?
We won't know until Marner takes the ice with his new team, and he is more than capable of turning things around once leaving Toronto, with the pressure off his shoulders.
That's what the Kings are betting on it sounds like, but only time will tell if they become jesters by paying too much.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 10 | 426 ANSWERS Contender Preparing Draisaitl-Sized Offer for Mitch Marner Ahead of Free Agency Will the Los Angeles Kings end up winning the Mitch Marner sweepstakes? | ||
| Yes | 162 | 38 % |
| No | 264 | 62 % |
| List of polls | ||
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