Following last week’s NHL trade deadline, a major storyline has been the future of Toronto Maple Leafs star right winger Mitch Marner.
Marner is in the final 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 career highs in assists and points, he’s focused on playing hockey and letting his agent and team figure it out.
Where could the 27-year-old Marner wind up playing next season and beyond? Let’s look at six possibilities for the pending UFA, starting with the likeliest option.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Marner staying with the Leafs is still the most likely possibility, as both Marner and the Leafs have spoken publicly about their desire to stay with each other.
But with the potential for Marner to go to free agency and test the open 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 current salary of $10.9 million, but if the Leafs once again falter early in the Stanley Cup playoffs this spring, there is going to be a sizeable number of Toronto fans who want the team to move in a different direction than bringing back looming UFAs Marner and star center John Tavares.
That said, if Marner does leave via free 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 team. 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 far-fetched as some would have you believe. The Utah HC will have more than enough cap space next season to accommodate Marner’s contractual demands. They’re also a young team on the rise that’s looking to add a high-impact veteran or two to put them over the top in their goal 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 games 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 create a dynamic top line that makes any player a scoring or playmaking threat. It would also be a massive…