New Development Emerges in Mitch Marner Sign-and-Trade Talks, per Insider
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
If the Maple Leafs wanted to recoup some assets when losing Mitch Marner, they'd need a sign-and-trade; but a new report shows that might not be an option.
Although there is still some hope that Mitch Marner will do a 180 and end up re-signing with the Maple Leafs, odds are he's headed to July 1 to see what team decides to offer him that presumed lucrative deal.
Toronto wants a sign-and-trade but seems very unlikely
Wanting to recoup some assets, the team is definitely looking to see if they can pull off a potential sign-and-trade, and while that would certainly help things, according to hockey insider James Mirtle; that's a very slim possibility:
With free agency three weeks away, there was a lot of talk. You have tons of teams looking to get a lot better, but if you look at the options, there aren't that many. It's like musical chairs where you have 20 teams with only five chairs.
From the Leafs perspective, there was more talk about moving Mitch Marner outside of the Carolina deal.
You heard the reports about trying to get a deal done with Vegas in the offseason last year, but they were trying to this year as well. As we try to figure out where he will end up [Marner], there seems to be a lot of smoke around Vegas.
It feels like a place he wants to go, they are one of the few teams who can move out a center and make it work. But it's heavily dependent on what the player wants to do, so it ultimately relies on Marner and how he wants to approach free agency. - James Mirtle, JD Bunkis Podcast
From the Leafs perspective, there was more talk about moving Mitch Marner outside of the Carolina deal.
You heard the reports about trying to get a deal done with Vegas in the offseason last year, but they were trying to this year as well. As we try to figure out where he will end up [Marner], there seems to be a lot of smoke around Vegas.
It feels like a place he wants to go, they are one of the few teams who can move out a center and make it work. But it's heavily dependent on what the player wants to do, so it ultimately relies on Marner and how he wants to approach free agency. - James Mirtle, JD Bunkis Podcast
So with that it seems like the Maple Leafs are out of luck, but do they still have hope for next season?
Toronto needs to adjust to life without Marner; pay the toll to bring in Brad Marchand
They absolutely do, and the team has more than enough firepower to weather the storm of a Marner loss, but they really need to be proactive and make one key addition.
Brad Marchand has proven that he is the difference maker in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and for a team struggling so hard to get a true game changer in the postseason; he's perfect.
Not only does he fit into the Craig Berube system, but he can still contribute at a high level offensively, plays gritty and nasty, and could be considered one of the most clutch players over the last decade.
He shows up when it matters, but that costs money. Marchand is going to get a raise, but it won't be nearly as much as Marner's, so the team needs to splurge just a bit and secure his services while their window is open.
Would it make a Stanley Cup inevitable? No, and the rest of the players need to show they are better than their stats prove, and no more coming up quiet when it counts.
But if they are going to leave without getting anything in return for Marner, it's not the end of the world, though they would love him to play ball just one more time.
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