Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Mitch Marner

Snapshots: Nugent-Hopkins, Malkin, Marner

at CDT | by 8 Comments

Edmonton Oilers centerman Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is expected to stick in the lineup for Game 6 despite missing Monday’s practice, head coach Kris Knoblauch told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic. His off-day will instead be chalked up to rest, after Nugent-Hopkins appeared in 20 minutes of action in Game 5.

Nugent-Hopkins appeared in 24 minutes of ice time and scored two points in Edmonton’s 5-4 win over Florida in Game 4. He ranks third on the Oilers’ offense in ice time (19:44) and postseason scoring (20 points in 21 games) behind only Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. It’s the expected pecking order, but Nugent-Hopkins’ role has still been a crucial part of Edmonton’s postseason success. They’ll rest assured knowing he’s expected to appear in a must-win game on Tuesday.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Retirement winds are beginning to blow around Pittsburgh Penguins legend Evgeni Malkin. It remains unclear exactly when the Russian forward is expecting to retire, though sources around the team say Pittsburgh is unlikely to offer him a new contract next summer, per Josh Yohe of The Athletic. Malkin will enter unrestricted free agency after the 2025-26 season after riding out a four-year, $24.4MM contract. He posted the lowest scoring pace of his career this season, with 50 points in 68 games equating to 0.74 points-per-game. That mark surpassed his previous career-low of 0.82 set last season, when he scored 27 goals and 67 points in 82 games. Those numbers are still mighty impressive, and could earn Malkin a few more years even as he slows down. He could also be a candidate to leave the NHL with a few good years left, and finish his playing career in Russia’s KHL. Mettalurg Magnitogorsk continue to hold Malkin’s KHL rights. He previously appeared in 169 games and scored 156 points with the club.
  • Top free agent Mitch Marner may take his time deciding on a new landing spot when the market opens on July 1st, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared on his latest 32 Thoughts podcast. Friedman adds that Marner could have plans to establish meetings throughout multiple cities before he signs his next deal. Negotiations for Marner’s last contract – a six-year, $65.41MM deal signed in 2019 – notoriously dragged on through September. He posted multiple career-years on the deal, including breaking the century mark for the first time this season with 102 points in 81 games. Marner is likely to rival records with a lengthy and expensive deal this season. Taking time to ensure it’s with the right fit will be a helpful bit of due diligence.

Blue Jackets Expected To Pursue Mitch Marner

at CDT | by 20 Comments

With more than $40MM to spend and only a few notable holes to fill on the roster, the Columbus Blue Jackets will have difficulty being outspent on players this summer. Keeping that in mind, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic expects General Manager Don Waddell to be very involved in Mitch Marner’s market.

Unfortunately, the Blue Jackets’ ability to spend won’t alienate all of their competition this offseason, as a report from yesterday indicated the Anaheim Ducks are contemplating a record-breaking offer for Marner’s services. Still, Columbus has even more financial flexibility than Anaheim, making their pitch the most worthwhile part.

In his article, Portzline hinted at the fact that the Blue Jackets have pursued Marner before. After the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs, when the Blue Jackets eliminated the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning in the opening round, the team’s top two talents, Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, departed via free agency.

Columbus’s General Manager at the time, Jarmo Kekäläinen, immediately contacted the Toronto Maple Leafs when Marner’s entry-level contract expired that same summer. Portzline doesn’t believe the Blue Jackets’ trade interest got to the point of exchanging names, as Marner signed a six-year, $65.41MM contract closer to training camp.

If Columbus ultimately signs Marner, they’ll have two of the most defensively responsible wingers in the league. Marner has finished in the top 10 of Selke Trophy voting in three out of the past five years, while Kirill Marchenko finished with a higher CorsiFor% and on-ice save percentage compared to Marner this season at even strength.

Bringing in Marner would also allow the Blue Jackets to bring in another star talent since the tragic death of Johnny Gaudreau on August 29th of last summer. Columbus embarked on a remarkably competitive season in honor of their late teammate, and adding a player of Marner’s talent would certainly boost the team’s morale level.

Unlike some of the other teams with an abundance of cap space this summer, the Blue Jackets would allow Marner to stay on a competitive roster, while also having a much smaller media presence compared to Toronto.

Ultimately, only time will tell what crest Marner will wear on his jersey next season. He won’t have a shortage of suitors, as several teams outside of Anaheim and Columbus have the available capital to make a run at his services.

Ducks May Offer Record-Breaking AAV For Mitch Marner

at CDT | by 32 Comments

Many have speculated that the Ducks will be a major player in the Mitch Marner sweepstakes. The All-Star winger is nearly guaranteed to hit the open market on July 1, and Anaheim has the third-most cap space in the league early in the offseason, according to PuckPedia.

That flexibility, plus a mandate from ownership to contend for a playoff spot next season, means they could offer Marner the most lucrative seven-year offer of any club this summer. James Mirtle of The Athletic reports Monday they’re considering offering him an AAV that would push north of the $14MM mark, making him the league’s highest-paid player starting next season.

Whether Marner is considering teams that aren’t currently established playoff contenders remains to be seen. Still, it’s hard to imagine any team, aside from the Blue Jackets and their $40.4MM in cap space, being willing to enter that range. Even an offer matching, not exceeding, Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl’s league-high $14MM cap hit comes in well north of his projected market value of just a shade under $13MM, according to AFP Analytics.

There will naturally be sticker shock when it comes to many deals this summer, with an 8.5% increase in the salary cap’s Upper Limit from $88MM to $95.5MM. Draisaitl’s mega-extension, which costs 14.66% of the cap when it starts next season, would be equivalent to a $12.9MM AAV had it gone into effect last year.

Any conversation about Marner pushing into the $14MM tier per season will result in direct comparisons between him and Draisaitl, especially with the latter’s extension being signed under a year ago and kicking in at the same time Marner’s next deal will. That’s where things will get hairy for Anaheim regarding public perception of the contract, even if acquiring a dynamic offensive threat of Marner’s caliber is a crucial long-term step in helping them return to relevance.

Draisaitl is one year Marner’s senior and had a two-year head start on him in beginning his NHL career, but the former wasn’t immediately thrust into top-six minutes like Marner was. Even still, Draisaitl’s career points per game rate of 1.21 dwarfs that of Marner’s 1.13.

The discrepancy between the two increases when putting them on equal footing regarding sample size. Draisaitl’s points-per-game rate increases to 1.32 from the beginning of Marner’s career in 2016-17. Over the past three seasons, Draisaitl has operated at a 120-point pace per 82 games compared to Marner’s 102.

The soon-to-be-former Maple Leafs winger has historically been a far more valuable player defensively than Draisaitl, but that changed this season, at least in terms of public perception. Draisaitl came one place ahead of Marner in Selke Trophy voting after posting career-best possession numbers (58.8 CF%, 61.2 xGF%) at even strength. While playoff production has far less impact on contract value, Draisaitl is in a different tier, with a 1.49 career points per game rate in the postseason compared to Marner’s 0.9.

Combine all that with Draisaitl playing a more traditionally valuable position, and it’s hard to imagine many other teams willing to match a $14MM offer for Marner if the Ducks make it, even if they technically have the resources to do so. Suppose he enters July 1 open-minded about his next destination. That discrepancy between Anaheim’s offer and whatever the second-best one is for him financially could be enough to tip the scales in the Ducks’ favor.

East Notes: Duclair, Marner, Marchand

at CDT | by 2 Comments

After being limited by injuries through much of the 2024-25 campaign, New York Islanders forward Anthony Duclair took a leave of absence from the team for the remaining eight games of the regular season due to a relatively public conflict with head coach Patrick Roy.

Still, in an interview with Andrew Gross of Newsday, new General Manager Mathieu Darche doesn’t believe Roy’s comments and Duclair’s leave from the team will have any long-standing implications. Gross quoted Darche, saying, “I have a little bit of a relationship with him. I did talk to him. He was in a good mood. We’re going to sit down, like I do with every other player.”

Darche went on to say that he’s hopeful Duclair will be ready for training camp in September. Regardless of his relationship with Roy, the Islanders’ front office will be expecting more from Duclair next season after scoring four goals and 11 points in 44 games shortly following a four-year, $14MM agreement with New York on the free agent market.

Other notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • Being the only team that can offer Mitch Marner an eight-year term before July 1st, Cam Robinson of EliteProspects has indicated the Toronto Maple Leafs could entertain a sign-and-trade scenario with Marner this offseason. The motivation behind the idea would be for Toronto to recoup some trade assets for Marner, rather than seeing him leave for nothing. However, a sign-and-trade at that level hasn’t been recorded since the Calgary Flames signed and traded Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in 2022 for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. Given that any interested team could sign Marner to a seven-year deal, without having to give up any prized players, means this scenario is highly unlikely to play out this summer.
  • A few days ago on The Chris Johnston Show, TSN’s Chris Johnston shared his belief that Panther Brad Marchand will get a raise this summer. Aside from the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, and the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, Marchand has played fewer than 70 games in one season since his sophomore campaign, showing a quality level of longevity entering his age-38 season. Coupled with his impressive run to the Stanley Cup Final with the Panthers that’s seen Marchand score seven goals and 17 points in 19 contests, Johnston believes Marchand will earn an AAV of $8MM on his next contract, albeit on a shorter-term deal.

Eastern Notes: Treliving, Flyers, Byram

at CDT | by 11 Comments

While the Toronto Maple Leafs moved on from Brendan Shanahan on Thursday, the team intends to keep general manager Brad Treliving, writes Chris Johnston of The Athletic. Treliving will report directly to MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley, per Johnston.

Treliving will immediately face tough decisions, as top forwards Mitch Marner and John Tavares are set for free agency. Even with the rising salary cap, it seems unlikely Toronto can retain both players and still add other key targets needed to push the team to playoff success.

As Johnston notes, Toronto will more than likely look to lessen the NHL’s largest front office, which included 15 executive positions under Shanahan. Streamlining operations could provide greater clarity for Pelley and Treliving, allowing them to work more efficiently and make clearer decisions. A simplified structure might ultimately prove more effective.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • Speaking of Marner, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic wrote that the Philadelphia Flyers should be in the market for forwards this offseason but added that he doesn’t see the potential Toronto free agent or any other big-name player as viable options. While GM Daniel Briere recently expressed that the organization is in a position to add key players as opposed to trade them away, making a move for a player that could receive upwards of $12 million per season may not fit into the Flyers plans. With a roster full of young, promising forwards, adding someone like Marner might accelerate the organization’s timeline prematurely.
  • While the Sabres are gauging the trade market for pending restricted free agent defenseman Bowen Byram, his new representation has called reports of a trade request a “total fabrication,” per Joe Yerdon of Bleacher Report. With Byram set for restricted free agency this summer, he opted to change agents and is now represented by agent Darren Ferris with Quartexx Hockey. Byram set career highs with 38 points in 82 games this past season, while also averaging a career high 22:42 of ice time per game. It will be interesting to see whether the Sabres can generate trade interest for Byram, or if they’ll find a way to keep the 23-year-old long-term.

Maple Leafs Notes: Tavares, Marner, Matthews, Nylander

at CDT | by 15 Comments

The head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Craig Berube, has addressed Mitch Marner and John Tavares’ upcoming unrestricted free agency. According to Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun, when asked if he’d like them to return, Berube said, “100%.”

The news comes with little surprise, as few coaches would want 176 points to walk away for nothing. Still, a report from TSN’s Chris Johnston a few days ago suggested there’s no guarantee Marner will re-up with the Leafs this summer.

There’s more room for optimism when it comes to Tavares. Aside from Berube’s desire to have him back, Toronto’s former captain shared with David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period today that he believes he’ll sign a new deal with the Maple Leafs, and has already spoken briefly to General Manager Brad Treliving.

Other notes from the Maple Leafs:

  • In a vague comment passed along by Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun, Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews said he’s been dealing with a ’mystery’ injury since training camp, and it flared up throughout the regular season and playoffs. Matthews played in fewer than 70 games for the first time since the COVID-19-shortened 2020-21 NHL season, and achieved his lowest goal total since his junior campaign in 2018-19.
  • There’s a chance that host country of the 2025 IIHF World Championships, Sweden, could get a major boost to their roster before the playoff round begins. According to Chris Johnston, William Nylander is contemplating joining his home country for the remainder of the tournament. Nylander hasn’t played in the international tournament since 2022, when he scored three goals and two assists in three games.

Maple Leafs Notes: Marner, Tavares, Berube, Game 7 Offense

at CDT | by 22 Comments

With yet another Game 7 loss in the books, there’s little doubt that Mitch Marner’s future lies somewhere other than Toronto, writes Chris Johnston of The Athletic. After his first 100-point regular-season performance, Marner didn’t record a point in last night’s season-ending loss and saw only 18:43 of ice time, his lowest of the 2025 playoffs. He recorded eight points in six games against the Senators in the first round but had just one point and a minus-three rating in Games 4 through 7 against Florida.

As Johnston wrote following the Leafs’ Game 5 loss to put them on the brink of elimination, Marner testing the unrestricted free agent market this summer is nearly a given. In his media availability following last night’s loss, he referred to his Toronto tenure in the past tense:

“It meant everything. (They) took maybe a risky pick on a small kid from Toronto and I’ve been forever grateful to be able to wear this Maple Leaf, and be a part of some of the great legends here and be able to wear this jersey.”

Letting Marner walk will, of course, free up all of his $10.9MM cap hit to spend elsewhere on the roster. Retaining him on a long-term deal would have likely cost them an additional $2MM per season, if not more – TSN’s Darren Dreger said last night that an eight-year, $13.5MM AAV offer was on the table at some point (via Nick Barden of The Hockey News). Whether that flexibility is spent wisely will determine how quickly Toronto can execute a retool without their top scorer.

There’s more on the Leafs:

  • Former captain John Tavares, also a pending unrestricted free agent, had a much different tone last night. He made it clear in no uncertain terms that he wants to come to terms on an extension to continue his career in Toronto (via TSN), although it’ll need to be at a considerable discount from his expiring $11MM cap hit. There were some extension talks during the season, but it’s not clear how close the two sides got to an agreement. The 34-year-old managed nearly a point per game in the regular season but only had a 5-2–7 scoring line in 13 postseason games, including a four-game point drought to end the playoffs.
  • While last summer’s coaching change did help propel the Leafs out of the first round for the second time in three years, it didn’t get them to the Conference Finals for the first time in the salary cap era. “I think this team has fire,” bench boss Craig Berube told James Mirtle of The Athletic. “I can’t explain (what happened) right now, nor do I want to, (with Game) 5 and (Game) 7 at home. Obviously (there are) things that we have to look at and talk about as an organization.”
  • The Maple Leafs’ powerhouse offense cocooning, not necessarily defensive missteps, have been what’s cost them in past Game 7s. That trend continued in 2025, with Max Domi’s early third-period goal registering as Toronto’s only output for the night. As The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel points out, Toronto has now been limited to just one goal in a remarkable five straight Game 7s.

Johnston: “Zero Reason” To Believe Mitch Marner Signs Extension With Maple Leafs

at CDT | by 11 Comments

Regardless of his lack of postseason success, Mitch Marner has done enough to go down as one of the better players in Maple Leafs franchise history. But as the end of his six-year, $65.41MM contract looms, it’s almost a certainty the top pending unrestricted free agent will indeed test the market this summer, writes Chris Johnston of The Athletic.

When Marner reportedly declined to waive his no-movement clause in a deal at the deadline that would have sent him to the Hurricanes for Mikko Rantanen, some believed he did so in hopes of continuing extension talks with Toronto. That wasn’t necessarily the case, Johnston notes. While the Leafs were interested in in-season extension talks, Marner’s camp has refused to negotiate during the campaign.

“There’s been a growing sense that the 28-year-old winger wants a fresh start after enduring an avalanche of criticism for his team’s repeated playoff shortcomings,” Johnston writes. The dynamic playmaker and longtime Auston Matthews linemate is coming off a career-high 75-assist, 102-point performance in the regular season. He’s still over a point per game in this year’s playoffs (2-10–12 in 11 GP), but he’s gone without a point in back-to-back contests in the second round as the Panthers have won three straight to erase and reverse Toronto’s 2-0 series lead. The Leafs now enter a must-win scenario on the road against the defending Stanley Cup champions tonight.

Most believe general manager Brad Treliving’s top offseason priority is reserving cap space for pending restricted free agent Matthew Knies, and for good reason. The 22-year-old power forward had 29 goals and 58 points in 78 regular-season games alongside Matthews and Marner and is averaging nearly 21 minutes per game in the playoffs with five goals. They’d presumably like to get it done quickly to remove the threat of an offer sheet. That leaves the Leafs, who have just five goals from their bottom-six forwards in terms of ice time in the playoffs, with little maneuverability to add scoring depth if big-ticket extensions are handed out to both Knies and Marner (let alone second-line center John Tavares).

As for Marner, it’s not yet clear where he’d be interested in signing this summer. It likely won’t be until after Toronto’s postseason run ends. It’s almost guaranteed he’ll earn a raise of at least $2MM per season on his current $10.9MM cap hit on a max-term deal, though. His 520 assists since he entered the league in 2016-17 are fifth in the NHL behind Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon, and Artemi Panarin.

There’s a legitimate chance Tavares is gone for no return this summer as well, Johnston writes. It’s less likely than Marner’s departure at this stage – after all, he’s been open to in-season extension talks, unlike Marner. Retaining the 34-year-old, who’s coming off a 74-point season, on a short-term deal does allow the Leafs to get more creative by replacing Marner’s scoring by committee on the wings because they don’t have to worry about finding a new second-line anchor, at least for now.

Morning Notes: Marner, Stars, Buium, Lindholm

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Toronto Maple Leafs were without star winger Mitch Marner at Sunday morning’s practice, as Marner attends to the birth of his first child. He isn’t expected to miss any time, helped along by Toronto’s second round matchup against the Florida Panthers beginning at home on Monday. Marner finally broke through the 100-point glass ceiling this season, scoring a career-high 102 points in 81 games played. He also recorded just 14 penalty minutes – a career-low. Those marks have carried into the postseason, with Marner netting one goal, eight points, and no penalties in six games of the first round. He is notably just under two months away from hitting the open market, unless Toronto can manage an eight-figure contract extension before July 1st. Marner is performing at a top mark at the perfect time – but he’ll have to hold onto the scoring role if Toronto wants to get by a Panthers lineup that averaged the fifth-most goals-per-game in the first round.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Dallas Stars head coach told the media on Sunday that it is still unlikely Jason Robertson or Miro Heiskanen are ready for the start of the second round, per Lia Assimakopoulos of Dallas News. DeBoer did share a glimmer of hope, though, adding that both players should be good to go at some point during round two. The Stars lineup will undeniably improve when they receive their top goal-scorer and top defender back from prolonged injury – an exciting thought to consider after they beat the Colorado Avalanche in a seven-game series. Robertson and Heiskanen – who both have returned to skating at optional practices – will have at least four more games to work their way back into the lineup.
  • Star prospect Zeev Buium only appeared in four games before the Minnesota Wild were eliminated from playoff contention. He performed well in those appearances, netting one assist and four penalty minutes from a depth role, and now faces the a transitional summer as he moves from college to the NHL full-time. Buium hasn’t shared too many details of what the summer will look like, but he did announce that he’ll join Team USA at the World Championship, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Buium represented his country at the World U18 Championshp in 2023 – netting six points in seven games – and at each of the last two World Juniors – where he combined for 11 points in 14 games. Now, he’ll get to join the Americans at the top flight – stepping onto a blue-line full of young-and-upcoming defensive talent. Buium will fight for a role over Mason Lohrei, Jackson LaCombe, and Michael Kesselring.
  • Speaking of Worlds, the Boston Bruins have shared that centerman Elias Lindholm will join the Team Sweden roster immediately. Lindholm hasn’t played at this tournament since 2019, when he scored six points in eight games. That was Lindholm’s third-consecutive season joining the Swedes at the World Championship. Across the trio of years, he combined for 19 points in 26 games. Lindholm’s only opportunity to represent Sweden since 2020 came earlier this year, when he participated in three games of the 4-Nations Face-Off and managed no scoring. Lindholm totaled 47 points in 82 games of the NHL season, his lowest scoring pace since he recorded 21 points in 58 games as a rookie.

Will Mitch Marner Reach Free Agency This Summer?

at CDT | by 11 Comments

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner is just three months away from becoming an unrestricted free agent, and with each passing day, the likelihood that he will test the market increases. But will he choose to leave the only NHL team he has ever played for? Only Marner knows the answer, but many factors are involved in this complicated situation. Many people will point to earning potential as the main factor in why Marner might test free agency, but there are personal and professional reasons why he might feel the time is right to look elsewhere.

As Marner showed during his last contract negotiations in 2019, he and his agent were willing to be patient in getting their number. Those negotiations spilled well into September before the 27-year-old signed a six-year, $65.358MM contract extension. An interesting note from those discussions was that Marner received several offer sheets from other teams at the time but did not entertain those offers as he prioritized staying with Toronto. This time around, Marner can get any NHL team involved in negotiations if he waits until July 1, which should lead to loftier contract demands on a longer term. It’s worth noting that Marner’s agent, Darren Ferris, has a history of bringing clients right to the deadline when negotiating (see William Nylander).

Marner’s current AAV of just under $11MM represented 13.37% of the NHL salary cap at the time, and with the rising cap, it would not be unreasonable for him to ask for the same number as a UFA. If he did, he would be looking at a contract with a cap hit of $12.77MM, a tick lower than teammate Auston Matthews’ cap hit of $13.25MM. For context, Matthews’ contract represented 15.07% of the salary cap when he signed it. Marner would be taking a smaller slice of the pie.

Matthews and Nylander have both signed pricey extensions. While Marner is undoubtedly a game-changer, it would be tough to commit to those three once again, given that they haven’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs, which hinders salary cap flexibility. There is a fair argument that you pay your stars and figure out the depth as you go, but eventually, those depth players also need to get paid, as Toronto has found out over the last few years. The Maple Leafs don’t have a lot of help coming from their farm system, evidenced by their recent ranking as the 28th-best prospect pool in the NHL (per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic), which means they will need to make trades or sign players in free agency to fill out their depth. If they have tied up 40% of their cap space in three players, adding free agents or taking chances on players who underperform but have upside will become increasingly challenging – not to mention re-signing pending RFA Matthew Knies or former captain John Tavares.

Marner is from and knows the fishbowl that is the Greater Toronto Area. When the team wins, the players are treated as heroes; however, the opposite can be true when the team drops games. The last sentence is especially relevant in the playoffs, where the Maple Leafs have suffered through years of postseason disappointments. If Toronto endures another early playoff exit, Marner could be tempted to leave Toronto and try to win elsewhere. In the past, Marner has dealt with heavy criticism from fans and media in Toronto, which could push him to seek a less intense market or one where he could enjoy some anonymity away from the rink. The pressure of playing in a Canadian market is well documented, and it can create fatigue, particularly for a player who has spent his entire career in that environment.

Former Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas was close to Marner in Toronto. Now Brad Treliving has taken over with Dubas in Pittsburgh, and it’s hard to say whether Marner will have the same loyalty during negotiations. Some folks in Pittsburgh have speculated that Dubas and the Penguins will make a run at signing Marner this summer, but given where Pittsburgh is in their retooling, it’s hard to see them adding a player of Marner’s caliber just yet. The Penguins are still a few years from being ready to contend for a playoff spot and likely don’t look desirable to Marner outside of his relationships with Dubas and Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.

Yet Marner has spent his entire professional career with the Leafs and his whole playing career in Canada. Marner played junior hockey in nearby London and has not lived more than a few hours from the GTA. Although athletes often move away from their hometowns, they typically don’t begin this process when nearing 30. This is not to say it doesn’t happen; it’s just unusual.

With a rising cap, plenty of teams can afford Marner, but how many can offer a better situation than Marner currently has in Toronto? Sure, Buffalo and Pittsburgh could afford him, but the Sabres haven’t made the playoffs in nearly a decade and a half, and Pittsburgh is retooling and likely won’t field a winner for another few years.

San Jose could make a compelling pitch, as Marner would have a chance to play with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. But Marner already has talented former top picks to play with and has the added comforts of home and familiarity. Carolina will be another interested party, but it seems like an unlikely destination, given that Marner reportedly turned down a trade to the Hurricanes a few weeks ago.

Toronto remains very much inside its competitive window with a core that still includes Matthews, Nylander, Morgan Rielly and company. And while the core has not had much playoff success, winning just one series ever, they have been a terrific regular season team for nearly a decade. The great teams almost always suffer heartbreak in the postseason before they figure out how to win when it matters, and the Maple Leafs could be a team that does that if Marner remains along for the ride. Toronto has most of their squad already locked in to return next season and could get a couple of runs at the Stanley Cup with this group.

Toronto has arguably overpaid all its stars over the past decade and has struggled to get players to take a discount to remain with the Maple Leafs. In fairness to Toronto’s management, if the Maple Leafs didn’t step up and pay their stars, someone else would have. The case is the same with Marner; if he reaches the market, another team will meet his asking price. It is the inevitability of unrestricted free agency, and the Maple Leafs will have to get close to Marner’s price if they want to keep him.

Plenty of NHL players have found out the hard way that the grass isn’t always greener with a new team, and those free-agent dollars can sometimes become an anchor that brings a player down. The familiarity of playing in your hometown for tens of millions of dollars and not having to start over in a new city feels as though it should be enough to keep Marner in Toronto. So, too, does the personal side of things, as players prefer playing closer to home as they age and begin having families.

Still, each passing day ultimately narrows the possibility of a return just a little bit more. However, the Maple Leafs remain the favorite to sign Marner long-term, as the allure of chasing a Stanley Cup with his hometown team will be too much to pass up.

Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top