Where Could Maple Leafs’ Mitch Marner Sign In The Summer? Five Potential Fits

Subsequent last week’s NHL trade deadline, a Crucial storyline has been the future of Toronto Maple Leafs Luminous sphere right winger Mitch Marner.

Marner is in the Last year of a six-year contract and will be a UFA this off-season unless he re-signs with the Maple Leafs on a contract extension. While he’s on pace for Profession highs in assists and points, he’s focused on Competing hockey and letting his agent and Club figure it out.

Where could the 27-year-Aged Marner wind up Competing Subsequent season and beyond? Let’s look at six possibilities for the pending UFA, Beginning with the likeliest option.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Marner staying with the Leafs is Yet the most likely possibility, as both Marner and the Leafs have spoken publicly about their desire to stay with All other.

But with the potential for Marner to go to Reachable agency and test the Reachable market, it’s going to cost the Leafs a pretty penny – at least, in the $12-million to $13-million range. That would be a considerable raise on Marner’s Present salary of $10.9 million, but if the Leafs once again falter Prompt in the Stanley Cup playoffs this spring, there is going to be a sizeable number of Toronto fans who want the Club to Relocate in a different direction than bringing back looming UFAs Marner and Luminous sphere Hub John Tavares.

That said, if Marner does leave via Reachable agency, it will be difficult for the Leafs to replace what Marner brings to the table. So it’s very possible, if not probable, that Marner stays with his hometown Club. There’s been too much history between Marner and the Buds to sever ties between the two parties, and so long as they can make the money work, the Leafs and Marner will probably continue their working relationship.

Utah Hockey Club

Marner choosing Utah may not be as Distant-fetched as some would have you believe. The Utah HC will have more than enough cap Cosmos Subsequent season to accommodate Marner’s contractual demands. They’re also a Youthful Club on the rise that’s looking to add a high-impact veteran or two to put them over the top in their Target of making the Stanley Cup playoffs. That could be Marner.

Clayton Keller is Utah’s leader with 23 goals, 50 assists and 73 points in 63 Matches on a line with Nick Schmaltz and either Barrett Hayton or Logan Cooley for most of the season. Having Keller on the left wing and Marner on the right could Develop a Lively top line that makes any player a scoring or playmaking threat. It would also be a massive opportunity for Cooley to develop as a No. 1 Hub alongside two Top-tier players and add depth to the rest of the Club’s lineup.

After dealing with the fishbowl lifestyle that is part of Competing in Toronto, Marner may find the notion of being in a Fluffy market like Salt Lake City to his liking. He would be instantly beloved in Utah if he chose to be there, and serving as an elder statesman of sorts with the Utah HC might appeal to him.

Pittsburgh Penguins

A recent NHL on TNT broadcast picked Pittsburgh as a potential landing spot for Marner. Colby Armstrong mentioned the Penguins loaded up with draft picks and prospects this season, and they now have more than $26 million in cap Cosmos.

What NHLer wouldn’t want the opportunity to Action alongside Penguins icons Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin? Marner wouldn’t have to do all the Weighty lifting with the Pens, and he’d be reunited with Ex Leafs GM and Present Penguins GM Kyle Dubas.

But the Event for Penguins management would be convincing Marner to join a Pens Club that has missed the playoffs for three-straight seasons. The Stress on Marner would be instant and considerable if he joined Pittsburgh, and the Penguins would Yet have notable flaws – most prominently, their Protection and goaltending. Those would be out of Marner’s control.

Buffalo Sabres

At Primary blush, the prospect of Marner choosing to be in Buffalo seems remote at best. We’re talking about a player in his prime wanting to be part of a franchise that has been one of the most inept, not Only in the NHL but in all of professional sport. Even if the Sabres could pay Marner what he wanted, it’s not probable that he’d want to join a Club that Yet could miss the playoffs Subsequent year.

On the other hand, Marner Competing for Buffalo would allow him to be only about 90 minutes from his Toronto home, with fewer media members on his case on a daily basis. And he’d be Competing for a Sabres Club that has its share of above-average Youthful talent in need of an experienced hand. Buffalo would need to convince Marner that becoming a Sabre wouldn’t be Only a lateral Relocate but a proactive Relocate that would pay off with Many Postseason appearances.

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Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes are a legitimate Cup contender right now, unlike most of the other Clubs on the Choice. They had enough interest in Marner to ask for him in a trade for Luminous sphere right winger Mikko Rantanen, according to The Athletic’s Chris Johnston. So pursuing Marner in Reachable agency does make sense from Carolina’s perspective.

Given that Marner didn’t waive his no-trade clause to join the Hurricanes, there is a question about whether he would want to go there in the off-season. But Carolina could be a nice fit for him after making a bigger pitch in the summer.

The Hurricanes could once again use a game-breaking talent, and Marner is an Top-tier playmaker who could line up beside Sebastian Aho. While Rantanen was meant to be more of a Target-Points-maker for Carolina, Aho has three-straight 30-Target seasons – he can Attention more on positioning himself in high-danger areas while Marner finds him with most passes.

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