The Toronto Maple Leafs won’t be following in the Colorado Avalanche’s footsteps by making a blockbuster trade for an impending free-agent forward—despite the temptation.
On Friday night, the Avalanche struck a deal that sent soon-to-be free agent Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes, sending shockwaves throughout the league.
So, how does this affect the Toronto Maple Leafs?
It’s a tough move for the Avalanche, trading away Rantanen, but it was a necessary decision. With no chance of re-signing him due to the growing gap between the two sides, the Avs had no choice but to part ways with their top winger. The deal was a massive loss for Colorado, but it prevents them from losing Rantanen for nothing. Can the Leafs and their fans handle a similar fate?
This trade is just the first domino to fall in a series of high-profile free-agent situations. With the Leafs now seeing the return Colorado received for Rantanen, they’ll likely ramp up their efforts to re-sign Mitch Marner.
If the Leafs believe they can’t keep Marner, they might be forced to take a similar route as the Avalanche. But given what the Avs got for Rantanen, it’s hard to imagine Marner returning a comparable package.
Why the Leafs Won’t Trade Mitch Marner
Now let’s consider the opposite side. There are solid reasons for the Leafs to hold on to Marner. The biggest one? Marner is a versatile, elite player, equally strong with and without the puck. He’s one of the top talents in the NHL, and one of the best to ever wear the Leafs jersey.
Trading Marner would be a massive blow to the Leafs. It’s nearly impossible to replace a two-way forward who excels in all situations and is a contender for major awards like the Hart, Art Ross, and Selke Trophies.
In my view, the only way the Leafs would move Marner is if they received a player of equal value in return—which, as the Rantanen trade shows, is unlikely to happen.
Instead, the Leafs should hold on to Marner and count on an increase in the salary cap to help manage his upcoming pay raise. I’m confident the cap will rise enough to accommodate it, particularly if it means making room by moving on from John Tavares.
A final word of caution: there will likely be increasing rumors of a Marner trade in the coming weeks. But much of this will likely be fueled by the hype surrounding the Rantanen deal. Stay tuned—things are about to get very interesting.
