The Toronto Maple Leafs will have major questions to answer this offseason and one trade pitch has them dealing a star pending free agent.
The website PuckPedia‘s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades. One user proposed a deal that would see the Maple Leafs dealing Mitch Marner to the Colorado Avalanche.
Maple Leafs acquire:
Mikko Rantanen
Avalanche acquire:
Mitch Marner
The proposed one-for-one swap would be a blockbuster and would arguably be one of the biggest trades in recent NHL history.
The Maple Leafs would acquire Rantanen who’s in the final year of his six-year $55.5 million deal. The star forward would replace Marner as the Maple Leafs top-line right winger, but he can also place center. Rantanen can add more scoring than Marner while he brings Stanley Cup experience to the lineup, as he was a key part of the Avalanche team that won the Cup in 2022. Last season, he skated in 80 games recording 42 goals and 62 assists for 104 points.
In return, the Maple Leafs would deal Marner to Colorado. Marner is in the final year of his six-year $65.41 million deal who like Rantanen is a free agent come July 1. Marner would add some playmaking to the Avalanche lineup and could help set up Nathan MacKinnon on the top line. Last season in Toronto, Marner skated in 69 games recording 26 goals and 59 assists for 85 points.
Avalanche Star Heaps Praise on Marner
During the offseason, Marner trained with Avalanche star MacKinnon.
The two practiced together on the same line, and MacKinnon heaped praise on
“Marner gets a lot of flak in Toronto,” Mackinnon said. “But he’s honestly one of the best players in the league. I play with some of the best players in the league, and then I skate with Marns, and he’s right up there with anyone. Especially at that camp, there was a lot of good players. He stuck out as one of the best.”
MacKinnon and Marner are both expected to be part of Team Canada’s Four Nation roster and the two could play on a line with one another again.
Marner Wants to Remain With Maple Leafs
With Marner in the final year of his deal, his name came up in trade rumors this offseason. However, no deal was made and Marner reported to training camp.
Before the season began, Marner did an interview with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and made it clear he wants to remain in Toronto. But, he says he is letting his agent do all the negotiation during the season.
“I think for my sake, unless it gets really important or (I’m) really needed, I’m going to let my agent Darren Ferris and (Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving) do all the talking and figure stuff out,” Marner said. “I’m just going to focus on playing hockey and trying to help this team win games.”
Marner says his goal is to remain with the Maple Leafs long-term and sign an extension before July 1 when he can hit the open market.
“That’s the whole goal (to stay with the Maple Leafs),” Marner said. “Like I spoke on, I’m passionate about this team, I’m passionate about this fan base.”
Marner was selected fourth overall in the 2015 NHL draft.
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