Jeff Marek Links Mitch Marner to Western Conference Team Planning Major Offseason Splash

While there's a lot of speculation and rumors surrounding where Mitch Marner may end up next season, as he is no doubt the most sought-after free agent on the market (though some could debate that argument).

Among the big time players like Vegas, Florida, and Los Angeles, we also see teams like Chicago and San Jose look to add Marner to bring in a veteran superstar to couple with their breakout youngsters.

But Insider Jeff Marek believes the Anaheim Ducks are going to make a big offer for Marner this summer, as he revealed on an episode of 'The Sheet'.

With the Ducks not being in the complete basement in the Pacific Division, could a play for Marner help get them back into the postseason?

If they were to make a serious and competitive offer, there's no reason to see why Marner wouldn't entertain it. While he does need to deal with California taxes, he gets out of the spotlight, into a market with a devoted fan base with history (albeit modern).

He instantly becomes their best player, and with the amount of young talent they have ready to break out, adding Marner could be what pushes them to that next level.

Anaheim already boasts players like Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Mason McTavish, Trevor Zegras, Pavel Mintyukov and Jackson LaCombe; all players that are under 25 but poised to be impactful at the NHL level.

Bringing in Marner, a 102-point scorer, would not only essentially double the point output of the Ducks' leader this season, but he instantly gives them one of the world's top players in his prime.

They have an absurd amount of cap space, and while they do have some RFA deals, they can get them re-signed and still have plenty for Marner.

The cap is rising, and if they can settle some of their stars into fairly team-friendly deals; that's going to only accelerate things.

Anaheim is one of the only teams who can field a $15M/year offer without handicapping their future, and if the team feels like they are only a superstar away from competing, they may bite on that price.

July 1 can't come soon enough.