Maple Leafs superstar Mitch Marner is in the final season of his six-year, $65.4 million contract, sparking discussions about his future with the team. Many believe the Leafs need to adjust their forward core’s salary structure and there was talk all summer about a trade. With five points in four games to start the 2024-25 season, perhaps the Maple Leafs were right to be patient.
Interestingly, despite Marner’s hot start and the value the Maple Leafs might get in a trade, columnist Nick Kypreos is wondering if the Leafs already have a backup plan. He teases letting Marner walk at the end of the season and not trading him at all.
Kypreos Argues the Maple Leafs Chase a Different Free Agent
In a recent article for The Toronto Star, Kypreos writes:
“Tampa Bay’s backup plan all along was to replace the money for Stamkos with free-agent Jake Guentzel‘s new contract. A similar scenario could play out for Toronto with pending free agents such as Mikko Rantanen, Sam Bennett or Brad Marchand, providing they are still available on July 1.”
Auston Matthews and William Nylander are unlikely to be traded, while John Tavares, seen as overpaid, would probably need a solid pick attached to offload his contract—an asset the Leafs can’t afford to sacrifice. So too, he might re-sign on the cheap next season. That leaves Marner as the most realistic trade option among the core four. However, moving Marner would cost Toronto a game-breaking superstar for the playoffs.
Because the Leafs can’t trade Marner witout hurting their current postseason chances, the only option is to let Marner walk, then replace him next season. Tampa felt the sting of losing Stamkos, but the pain didn’t last long with Guentzel coming into town. Marner is undeniably one of the NHL’s top wingers, but another top winger replacing him at a lesser cost (which would exclude Rantanen) might work.
This Would Be a Huge Gamble for the Maple Leafs
Marner is in a very weird situation this year. There are a lot of moving pieces that affect what is sure to bring him of the largest contracts in the NHL. The best move for the Maple Leafs might be to let him play out his expiring contract and go in a different direction. But, can the Leafs count on the fact that replacing Marner will be easy to do?
The Leafs won’t know if any of the names mentioned in Kypreo’s piece will have interest in Toronto. Marchand may want to retire as a Bruin. The Avalanche are likely to pay Rantanen. Sam Bennett might not be as inexpensive as the Leafs assume.
Toronto could always gamble on the idea that Marner won’t want to leave. That said, Tampa did that took and Stamkos left. Just because something seems unlikely doesn’t mean it won’t happen.
Next: For Hellebuyck, “Stats are Stats, I’m More Dialed in This Year”
