With the Toronto Maple Leafs striving to figure out why they have unable to go past the first round of the playoffs, the focus has shifted to what adjustments need to be made to strengthen the squad. Much of the spotlight has been on Mitch Marner, who is 24 years old. Marner is making $10.9 million per season (AAV), but failed to score any goals in the seven game series against Montreal, something many believe is unacceptable. During Tuesday night's Sportsnet panel, the idea of trading Marner was discussed, with differing opinions on the subject.
"When you have a talent like this, you're not trading it, you're working with it," said Elliotte Friedman, when asked about the possibility of a Marner trade.
However, fellow panelist Kevin Bieksa wasn't so sure when asked if the Leafs should look into acquiring Seth Jones from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jones has reportedly already told Columbus he will not re-sign with the team when his contract ends after next season and the Blue Jackets are looking to move him this summer if at all possible. Bieksa called Jones a "special player" and added he would consider trading Marner or another one of Toronto's big names, saying he would take a top-4 defenceman over most forwards.
In five seasons with the Maple Leafs, Marner has scored at least 61 points in each, including one season with 94.
