Insider Chris Johnston Rules Out Major Contender in Mitch Marner Free Agency Race
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
NHL Insider Chris Johnston revealed on his podcast that the Utah Mammoth are expected to not be a huge player in the Mitch Marner sweepstakes this summer.
With a new report every day regarding where Mitch Marner might end up this summer, it seems like July 1 can't come soon enough. Whether it's for fans to get closure, or somehow be surprised by a turnabout face; we'll have an answer.
Mitch Marner not likely headed to Utah: Chris Johnston
We've heard rumblings of everywhere from Vegas to Florida to Chicago and even smaller teams like Anaheim and San Jose are preparing offers.
One we heard a lot about is the Utah Mammoth, as the team was presumably looking to make a big splash this summer, but according to NHL Insider Chris Johnston, it's very unlikely they do so with Marner:
It's funny, my understanding of what they want to do is they certainly want to be active in free agency. I'm not sure that it's the biggest swing though.
I don't think they are going to sign the richest contract on free agent day. It obviously could happen but my understanding is more they are looking to be smart on how they deploy their resources.
But clearly they recognize that they have some opportunities, I think, to add another forward, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if they went and added someone to their blueline as well. - Chris Johnston
I don't think they are going to sign the richest contract on free agent day. It obviously could happen but my understanding is more they are looking to be smart on how they deploy their resources.
But clearly they recognize that they have some opportunities, I think, to add another forward, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if they went and added someone to their blueline as well. - Chris Johnston
While Johnston didn't explicitly state Marner's name, the fact he mentioned the richest deal on July 1 is a pretty good indicator that they won't be gung-ho on Marner.
So who is left for Mitch Marner?
Well if Utah is out, then it leaves 31 other teams who are going to prepare a big offer, but of the realistic options it seems like Vegas, Florida, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Chicago, and potentially Toronto are the main frontrunners.
Vegas and Florida offer Marner a lot of amenities, as they have lower tax rates, can offer a very lucrative offer, and offer him a perennial contender to be part of.
However, both teams might need to make some important decisions when it comes to their cap, and if they are able to find ways to efficiently dump money in hopes of Marner; you bet they'll jump on it.
Los Angeles and Anaheim are kind of the same, though the Kings offer Marner a quicker win-now window.
Anaheim have been rumoured to make a Leon Draisatil-esque offer for Marner, and the ability to play with an incredibly young and talented roster might be worth the extra taxes being in California.
Chicago offers the same as Anaheim but instead of Cutter Gauthier and Leo Carlsson, Marner gets to move from one superstar to another in Connor Bedard. However, they are definitely not as close to either LA or Anaheim in competing, and Marner might not have the patience to wait another 4-5 years to try and win.
Lastly, Toronto is definitely a feasibly albeit improbable destination. There's a chance he just wants to scour the market and finds that the Maple Leafs still offer a lot; but does he really want to play in a city that has essentially vilified him?
Marner was already getting a lot of flak when he was committed and now that he's on the fence, is re-signing going to bring any goodwill back to the fans? Probably not, but it's not a bad idea to at least try.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 9 | 430 ANSWERS Insider Chris Johnston Rules Out Major Contender in Mitch Marner Free Agency Race Where will Mitch Marner end up playing next season? | ||
| Vegas | 269 | 62.6 % |
| Florida | 35 | 8.1 % |
| Chicago | 28 | 6.5 % |
| Toronto | 98 | 22.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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