Darren Dreger Proposes Wild Scenario for Maple Leafs with $30M in Cap Space

I think you know, there's time on the side of both here. Because Mitch [Marner] is never going to be a trade pawn on March 7th, he's just not, right.

And so I'm sure that the preference for Brad Treliving would be that Darren Ferris, who represents Marner, would give them a call and say, "hey, why don't we, you know, get together when you get back off the road and let's have a conversation.

"I'd be surprised if it was lower than $13M times eight, and that's Toronto's stomach, so he much more Marner is going to get on the open market, maybe a lot more if he wants to play outside of his hometown and in a market that isn't or with a team that isn't as close to making the Stanley Cup with the Toronto Maple Leafs. - Darren Dreger

Mikko Rantanen, you know, if he doesn't extend with Carolina, there's going to be a number of teams that go down the road with Rantanen if he gets to July 1st, and in their own way, shape, or form they'll get that message conveyed to him before July 1st...so if he decides that Toronto is an option, yeah, I mean that's what going to make it really super challenging, or a Sam Bennett.

You know, and I'm sure that Treliving and his group have had those conversations multiple times, but, you know, I'm going to back up a little bit here too.

I think that Treliving and the Maple Leafs have a high level of Respect for what Mitch Marner brings to the team on a nightly basis, like everyone else, they will want and they would expect that the playoff numbers are going to change this year and maybe that needs to be a must.

I think if Mitch Marner came in and said "here's my hard number" and it's $13.25M, whatever that number is, times eight, Toronto might sign it because that's how much they value the kid.

If they don't engage now between now and March 7th or the playoffs, this conversation about Mikko Rantanen if he hasn't extended, Sam Bennett, Tavares, its going to get more loud, and more loud, and that's just going to make things more uncomfortable for Marner and the group. - Darren Dreger