If the Stars Align, the Leafs Might Have Found an Adequate Mitch Marner Replacement

After 3 consecutive Conference Final defeats, the Dallas Stars are in a peculiar position where they want to make changes to the roster, but are hard-pressed with their salary cap situation.

Kudos to GM Jim Nill, who managed to extend Matt Duchene, Jamie Benn, and Mavrik Bourque, which was partially facilitated after trading Mason Marchement to the Seattle Kraken. They might not be done yet as they could be eyeing a much bigger name in Mitch Marner.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman believes that should Marner make it known that he would be willing to sign in Dallas, the Stars would then be pressed into a situation where they'd have to trade Jason Robertson.

The Stars would have to make a couple of moves to become cap compliant, but Robertson has been in trade rumours for quite awhile now, and the Stars would pull the trigger if the right deal came along.

Should Dallas manage to find a way to sign Marner, the Toronto Maple Leafs need to make it a priority to find a way to get Robertson as Marner's replacement for the foreseeable future.

What a trade would look like depends on a few variables, but it would have to involve a top-level prospect like Easton Cowan and defenseman Brandon Carlo, which is currently a position the Stars need to address.

To further facilitate the move, the Leafs could also take on Mathew Dumba's contract to help with Dallas' cap situation. The Leafs can afford his $3.75 million cap hit on an expiring deal and could look to move him later on if things don't pan out.

Jason Robertson may also wish to sign a lengthy extension with the Leafs if it means playing on the same team as his brother, Nicholas Robertson.

With the free agent market being as shallow as it is this year, if the Leafs are going to try to acquire impact players for their roster, it will more than likely have to come through a trade.