Maple Leafs May Find Creative Way to Trade Mitch Marner Before Free Agency
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs may have a way to potentially move Mitch Marner while still gaining assets before he hits free agency.
Mitch Marner has expressed his desire to stay with the Toronto Maple Leafs and sign an extension with the club, but with the Leafs' upper management looking at its options, as evidenced by the decision made to not re-sign team President Brendan Shanahan to a new deal, suggests a possible new direction for Toronto doesn't include Marner in it.
Many have ripped Marner in the media and on social media for his postseason performances. Marner has 63 points in 70 career playoff games with Toronto, not off from his teammates but has faced larger criticism for inconsistent play and a perceived lack of competitiveness.
Despite having a career-high 102 points in the regular season, his playoffs have left some fans uncertain about re-signing him long-term, especially to a deal over $13M, which has been rumoured by some insider reports.
Potential Scenario Includes Trade For Mitch Marner
A new report suggests it may be possible to still gain from Mitch Marner potentially departing from Toronto, making a trade to get assets for Marner.
Hockey insider Frank Seravalli reveals that it could be a possibility that the Toronto Maple Leafs could move Mitch Marner, that they could do a sign-and-trade or move his RFA rights.
I just looked at Brad Treliving's history, the Matthew Tkachuk sign-and-trade; I mean, that was a little bit different because he had one year left of RFA left, so he kinda had to get traded.
So I don't expect a Jonathan Huberdeau & Mackenzie Weegar-type return, not going to happen, but could they jump the market and find a situation where Mitch Marner wants to pre-negotiate with and everyone gets a win-win, the Leafs get something, in return that team gets a chance to get ahead of it and get the guy that they want and Marner gets an eighth year, it's entirely possible. - Frank Seravalli
So I don't expect a Jonathan Huberdeau & Mackenzie Weegar-type return, not going to happen, but could they jump the market and find a situation where Mitch Marner wants to pre-negotiate with and everyone gets a win-win, the Leafs get something, in return that team gets a chance to get ahead of it and get the guy that they want and Marner gets an eighth year, it's entirely possible. - Frank Seravalli
Who Could Make A Sign-And-Trade For Mitch Marner?
Several teams could use a player like Mitch Marner and with a guaranteed contract involved for eight years, there will certainly be suitors willing to fork up money.
The Chicago Blackhawks have been frequently linked as a potential destination for Mitch Marner in free agency.
Chicago needs players to put next to Connor Bedard in the team's top line, and Marner is easily the most promising option linked to them.
The Blackhawks lack a big name in return that could alleviate the loss of Marner right away in the lineup, but they come with a very deep prospect pool and the third overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
With them just having prospects mainly as a key return, they may be hesitant to move top youngsters such as defensemen Sam Rinzel & Artyom Levshunov, but they have other prospects they could package.
The Anaheim Ducks are in a similar situation, having the cap space for Marner and needing a veteran to improve a youth-led roster, they also have more NHL ready youngsters who may be trade bait including Trevor Zegras, who may use a change of scenery, and Mason McTavish who'll be an RFA this offseason.
The Ducks also have last year's third overall pick, Beckett Sennecke, a teammate of Toronto's 2024 first-rounder Ben Danford with the Oshawa Generals.
Up north from Anaheim are the Los Angeles Kings, who, like the Ducks, have a deep squad but are looking at adding an impact veteran to take what is an up-and-coming playoff team to a real contender.
The newly minted Utah Mammoth are also a team out west looking at a star player, where Marner gives the team its first true superstar player for the league's newest franchise.
A reunion with Kyle Dubas in Pittsburgh seems unlikely, with the team seemingly slated for a rebuild for the next era without Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, & Kristopher Letang, nor does a potential reunion with now-former Leafs President Brendan Shanahan, who has been meeting with the New York Islanders.
It may be in the best interest for a team to trade rather than sign Marner as the likelihood of a high-priced bidding war is very real.
It may be in the best interest for a team to trade rather than sign Marner as the likelihood of a high-priced bidding war is very real.
It may be the end of Mitch Marner in Toronto, but perhaps the last act of the boyhood Leafs fan could be finding a way to help the team win, rather than walking off and not looking back.
| POLL | ||
MAI 23 | 1017 ANSWERS Maple Leafs May Find Creative Way to Trade Mitch Marner Before Free Agency If you were Mitch Marner, would you accept a sign-and-trade or test free agency? | ||
| Sign-and-trade | 556 | 54.7 % |
| Go to free agency | 461 | 45.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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