Elliotte Friedman Links Mitch Marner to Surprise Team Ready to Make a Splash
Photo credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The Utah Mammoth could end up being a surprise candidate in the Mitch Marner sweepstakes as they try to make their mark according to Elliotte Friedman.
With several teams already floating around as potential candidates for Mitch Marner this summer, NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman stopped by the Real Kyper and Bourne show to discuss the potential places he could end up.
Utah Mammoth could make a big play for Mitch Marner this summer: Elliotte Friedman
The interesting part is that Friedman named the Utah Mammoth as a potential dark horse candidate when it comes to signing Marner due to their desire to make a 'big splash' and announce their arrival:
If there is a one team everyone is watching and saying I'm really curious to see what they do it is Utah. teams believe that Utah is determined to introduce themselves to the NHL in a big way. - Elliotte Friedman, Real Kyper and Bourne
There certainly won't be a shortage of suitors for the star forward, however the Mammoth being a potential place does throw a bit of a wrench into the standard chatter.
Why Mitch Marner fits with the Utah Mammoth
Well, he won't immediately be heading to a contender and that's something he needs to come to grips with first. But if he can get over that hurdle, he has the chance to do something special.
Playing with the likes of youngsters Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, and Josh Doan, Marner can come in and mentor them and turn them from good to great to potentially elite.
Plus he would get some solid running mates in Clayton Keller, Barrett Hayton, and Lawson Crouse; and it reunites him with former teammate Alex Kerfoot. Utah also has some great young defensive players too like Mikhail Sergachev, Sean Durzi and John Marino.
Instantly becoming the team's best player, he can run the offense from the get go and a top trio of Cooley, Keller and Marner would make for an incredibly dynamic line.
It also keeps him in quite possibly the quietest place possible and far, far away from the spotlight. He clearly didn't enjoy the constant media pressure and fan response so perhaps a move to a much more reserved place would be ideal.
Knowing that Marner is interested in Vegas and Los Angeles, while Chicago, San Jose, Anaheim, and Columbus all have vested interests as well.
But besides Vegas, Utah offers one of the lowest tax rates in all of the NHL, and if Marner wants to make as much money as possible; he could be willing to make a shock jump.
The Mammoth also have roughly $21M to work with, and only a couple of expiring deals from some older veterans; they can easily part with them in favor of bringing Marner on board.
The pending free agent can take his breakthrough 102-point season (27G, 75A) and commandeer the Mammoth into an offensive juggernaut, and he brings his prime years into a team who could be a sneaky playoff team if the right cards fall.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 3 | 502 ANSWERS Elliotte Friedman Links Mitch Marner to Surprise Team Ready to Make a Splash Do you think the Utah Mammoth have a chance to sign Mitch Marner this summer? | ||
| Yes | 299 | 59.6 % |
| No | 203 | 40.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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