Despite widespread speculation, the Toronto Maple Leafs have not yet engaged in any trade discussions with any team involving star forward Mitch Marner according to The Athletic’s Pierre Lebrun.
Just FYI, it's my understanding as of this moment that the Maple Leafs have not spoken to a single team about Mitch Marner. The Leafs were focused on the coaching situation which they've handled now. But there hasn't been any trade conversations regarding Marner.
Obviously we'll… https://t.co/uXMgmaRKgD— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 21, 2024
With rumors swirling around the idea of a major shake-up on the horizon to the ‘Core Four’, Marner has been the consistent name brought up in conversation as the odd man out. As the Leafs’ management recently had their attention devoted to resolving the coaching situation with the hiring of Craig Berube, the club can be expected to field inquiries about Marner as the NHL Draft approaches next month – premiering on June 28th.
On Monday, the Nashville Predators opened up some salary cap space by sending veteran defenseman Ryan McDonagh to the Tampa Bay Lightning along with the Edmonton Oilers’ fourth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft in exchange for Tampa’s second-round draft pick in 2025 and seventh-round pick in 2024.
We have a trade to announce. https://t.co/ojluE3GZs5
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) May 21, 2024
With Predators clearing all of McDonagh’s $6.5 million cap hit, that led Tennessean reporter Alex Daugherty to ask Preds GM Barry Trotz if he’d use the new-found cap space to try and acquire someone like Marner.
“They haven’t talked to us,” Trotz replied. “I read the same stuff as you, that’s just rumors.”
As Berube was introduced as the 32nd head coach of the Maple Leafs on Tuesday at the Ford Performance Centre, general manager Brad Treliving was asked about the future Marner in Toronto on a possible extension, among other forwards like John Tavares, Max Domi, and Tyler Bertuzzi.
He responded with, “We’ll see” noting that the Leafs have a “Busy summer ahead” with plenty of meaningful decisions awaiting them.
“I went to work on the coaching search and that’s been that file that has been all-encompassing until you know until this past weekend,” Treliving told reporters Tuesday.
“As I said at the end of the year we’re going tolook at everything. We’ve got some really good players and we don’t want to lose sight of that. But I’ll sit down and we’ll start to dig into all the other areas, roster construction and all those types of things and we’ve got a busy summer ahead.”
With the NHL Entry Draft right around the corner, 38 days to be exact, uncomfortable conversations between players and management personnel will be required. Just under three weeks removed from the club’s Game 7 loss to the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, a decision feels imminent amidst the looming future of Marner with the ‘Core Four’ still intact.
Whichever direction the team and player decide to take, both sides will need to work simultaneously given Marner’s full no-movement clause – currently leaving the Leafs’ management’s hands tied for the time being. Any trade would require Marner to waive his no-movement clause, whether it be through a convention with management or submitting a list of teams he’d be interested in going to, something has to give.
One thing remains clear though, and that is there is expected to be plenty of interest for Marner – a player who is regarded as one of the NHL’s top playmakers. Marner finished with 26 goals and registered 59 assists for a total of 85 points in 69 games throughout his eighth season as a Maple Leaf in 2023-24. If and when he hits free agency at the end of the 2024-25 season, he will be one of the most sought-after forwards on the market.
