If Maple Leafs Can't Re-Sign Marner, He'll Command A King's Ransom On Trade Market

The blockbuster trade that sent star winger Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes and that sent star center Martin Necas to the Colorado Avalanche has ramifications beyond those two teams. There are more than a few NHL franchises who will be facing a crossroads with their stars, and there’s no better example than superstar right winger Mitch Marner, who is having another terrific season for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Like Rantanen, Marner is slated to be a UFA at the end of the current season. And like Rantanen, Marner has been a phenomenal point-producer this year, with 53 assists and 68 points in 50 games with the Buds. But let’s say, for argument’s sake, that Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving can’t come to terms with Marner on a contract extension. If the Leafs felt they had no choice but to put Marner on the trade block, what return could they hope to get for his services?

For starters, you have to look at other teams that may have their own issues to address with certain players. The Vancouver Canucks, for instance, may decide to move on from star center Elias Pettersson. Would a Marner/Pettersson swap help both teams? You’d have to think it would.

Marner is almost assuredly looking for a raise on his current $10.9-million salary, and if the Canucks were able to offload Pettersson’s massive contract – that pays him $11.6 million for the next seven years – they could use that money, as well as the increased funds that will come from the rising salary cap ceiling to bump Marner’s salary to new heights. And Toronto would get cost certainty, for a player very close in age to the 27-year-old Marner, as well as a player who understands playing in the fishbowl of a Canadian market.

Here’s another deal that could help both Marner and the Leafs if they parted ways: if the Utah Hockey Club wanted to drastically change their lineup, trading for Marner – in return for a younger star forward like Clayton Keller – would benefit both sides. Utah has more than enough available cap space to absorb Marner at a notable raise next year, and the Leafs would be getting a star in Keller who is a huge bargain at $7.15 million for the next three seasons. Keller isn’t an assist machine the way Marner is, but he is a better goal-scorer - he’s currently got 17 goals and 53 points in 47 games – and the difference in cap hits between him and Marner would allow Treliving to bulk up Toronto’s roster in other areas.

Related: NHL Trade Deadline Needs: Toronto Maple Leafs And Tampa Bay Lightning

With that said, we’ll be honest – we don’t think the Marner and Rantanen situations are entirely the same. Marner still has a vested interest in staying in Toronto, and the Leafs are still interested in keeping him on the team. Marner may not be particularly interested in a hometown discount for the Buds, but the increased cap ceiling allows for him to get a raise into the $13-million-per-season area. And if they can convince Marner to accept, say, $12 million and change per year, they can still hand over their remaining cap space to other areas of the roster.

It’s always intriguing to guesstimate what trade possibilities are out there for elite NHL players in the final year of their contract. But in Marner’s case, we doubt he’ll make it to the open market. If we were a gambling man, we’d bet on Marner signing an extension in the weeks and months ahead, and for this relationship with the Leafs to continue for many years to come.

The Leafs need Marner, and Marner seems compelled to stay in his hometown. Thus, it’s not at all the same as Rantanen’s situation in Colorado. But if the relationship crumbles unexpectedly, Toronto absolutely could command a king’s ransom for Marner.

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