NHL Rumors: Marner, Maple Leafs, Boeser, Jets, Senators – The Hockey Writers – NHL Rumors

In today’s NHL rumors, is Mitch Marner‘s deal becoming somewhat of a wildcard situation in Toronto? One scribe believes Marner’s camp could ask for more money than Auston Matthews is getting. Meanwhile, are the Winnipeg Jets interested in Brock Boeser? Finally, the Ottawa Senators are believed to be actively still searching for help in trades. Who do they have their eyes on?

Could Marner’s Cap Hit Eclipse Matthews’?

With the NHL salary cap projected to rise significantly over the next few seasons, Mitch Marner’s upcoming contract negotiations could take an interesting turn. According to Jonas Siegel of The Athletic, Marner’s agent, Darren Ferris, will likely factor in these future increases when determining his client’s value. They could potentially push for a higher percentage of the cap than his current deal. If they did, it would exceed what Auston Matthews is making.

Siegel writes:

Marner’s current deal represented 13.37 percent of the cap when it was signed in 2019. Were Marner to draw the same percentage on next season’s $95.5 million cap, he would be due a cap hit of $12.77 million. But what if Ferris, knowing the cap is slated to rise significantly in the season after that (and the one after that), seeks a larger percentage — say, 14 percent? That would have Marner drawing $13.37 million on the cap in Year 1, eclipsing Matthews slightly.

source – ‘Are Maple Leafs too top-heavy? Could Marner’s next deal exceed Matthews’? Monday Morning Leafs Report’ – Jonas Siegel – The Athletic – 02/03/2025

If Marner’s camp pushes for a higher cap hit than Matthews (which might be realistic based on how the cap is rising), would the Leafs balk at that? Siegel points out that the Colorado Avalanche reportedly refused to let Mikko Rantanen’s contract exceed Nathan MacKinnon’s, and Toronto could take a similar approach.

“An already fascinating situation grows more interesting,” writes Siegel.

Would the Winnipeg Jets Like a Crack At Brock Boeser?

Murat Ates of the Athletic listed off a handful of potential trade targets for the Winnipeg Jets ahead of the deadline. Among them was Vancouver Canucks pending UFA Brock Boeser. The Jets almost drafted Boeser before taking Kyle Connor, that’s how much they liked him. Ates writes:

It makes loads of sense to me that the Jets would…