There hasn’t been any official news regarding a Mitch Marner trade, but that doesn’t mean things aren’t happening behind the scenes.
Many within the NHL community believe that the Toronto Maple Leafs are leaning towards trading the star forward this offseason instead of signing him to a costly contract extension or risking losing him to free agency next year. Stu Grimson from NHL Network shares this perspective.
In a recent episode of “NHL Tonight,” Grimson discussed why trading a player of Marner’s talent might be difficult but could ultimately be beneficial.
“This team needs more toughness and grit in their top six,” Grimson explained. “Looking back at the series against Florida, they struggled against players like Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett, who are key parts of the Panthers’ top six. The Leafs desire a gritty presence in their top six who can also deliver high-level offensive performance. Marner could be the key piece that management sees as necessary to push them forward.”
Marner, who has scored 85 or more points in four of the last six seasons, including three 90-point seasons, has one year remaining on his contract with a $10.9 million cap hit. He is likely to demand over $11 million per year in his next contract.
The 27-year-old forward could attract a significant return on the trade market, especially from Stanley Cup contenders seeking to enhance the scoring depth of their top six. Grimson suggests that such a return might be too tempting for Toronto to ignore.
“If they trade him, it will be a substantial return,” Grimson said. “I believe there will be a solid, established NHL impact player involved, along with picks and prospects accompanying Marner. It should be a valuable deal.”
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