With Mitch Marner entering the final season of his contract, the Toronto Maple Leafs need to do what’s best for all parties and trade the longtime fan favorite.
Last year, GM Brad Treliving made the mistake of running it back with the same core of players. Having suffered another miserable playoff defeat, it’s clear that Mitch Marner would benefit from a fresh start.
The Maple Leafs have already made one significant change since their latest playoff disappointment, hiring Stanley Cup-winning head coach Craig Berube to replace Sheldon Keefe behind the bench.
Before free agency opened, Brad Treliving brought back Max Domi on a four-year contract extension worth $15 million. It’s a good start, but Treliving’s offseason will not be successful until/unless he trades away one of the “core four” players.
Auston Matthews and William Nylander aren’t going anywhere, and captain John Tavares (one year left on his deal) won’t fetch much in return. So, the wise bet would be to trade Mitch Marner in a pure “hockey trade” that would bring another impactful player over to Toronto.
Per Sportsnet’s Luke Fox, Berube said that he’s “looking forward to coaching” Marner” last week. But if Treliving plays his cards right, he’ll trade Marner now and maximize the return.
The Calgary Flames make sense as a landing spot for Marner. They need another stud playmaker after trading Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks last season, and the cap space is there to give him a long-term extension after dealing away Chris Tanev, Jacob Markstrom, Andrew Mangiapane and Noah Hanifin.
What Flames Should Offer Leafs For Mitch Marner
For years, Toronto’s main weakness has been the blue line. Calgary is deep with stud defensemen and promising prospects there, so Treliving should see if he can snag one in a Marner trade.
MacKenzie Weegar would be the ideal fit for the Leafs. He had 20 goals and 52 points last season, both career highs. Weegar could work the top power play and serve as a valuable puck-moving defenseman for Toronto’s high-powered offense, giving Morgan Rielly some much-needed support from the blue line.
For Calgary, getting Marner accelerates the rebuild and puts them in position to compete long-term. Suddenly, an offense led by Marner, Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau would make the Flames a playoff contender in the wide-open west.
