Leafs Star Mitch Marner Reportedly Could Bolt for Reunion With Ex-Junior Linemate
Photo credit: The New York Times
All eyes will be on Toronto Maple Leafs forward and pending UFA Mitch Marner, who has been teased to the St. Louis Blues by one NHL analyst from The Athletic.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are about to embark on what is a critical opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against a yet-to-be-determined opponent. If they falter early yet again, fans can expect major changes to the organization.
One of those potential changes could be the status of pending UFA forward Mitch Marner with the club. While he wants to remain with the Maple Leafs, his future in Toronto remains up in the air.
NHL analyst Jeremy Rutherford, who covers the St. Louis Blues for The Athletic, recently conducted a fan mailbag session and suggested that Marner would be an ideal fit with the Blues and would love the chance to play with Robert Thomas, his former teammate with the OHL's London Knights.
Marner would be an incredible fit for the Blues. He'd have to change his number because No. 16 is in the rafters at Enterprise Center, but as I've written before, Marner playing alongside Thomas, his old junior teammate, might lead to some magic like back in the day with Brett Hull.
Rutherford continued by noting that Marner is set to cash in considerably this summer and could fetch as much as $14 million per year in his next deal.
The issue is Marner is going to get paid. He will be the premier UFA this offseason if unsigned by the Leafs, and the cost could be $14 million AAV. Could the Blues afford the winger, who turns 28 in May? He'd be quite the addition, but it takes two parties. If he's somehow interested, they would have to be.
The Blues would have to shed salary to accommodate Marner, as they are projected to have barely above $7 million available with which to work.
If Marner decides to take on a new challenge and depart the Maple Leafs, would joining forces with his former OHL teammate Robert Thomas and the St. Louis Blues make sense?
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 14 | 4427 ANSWERS Leafs Star Mitch Marner Reportedly Could Bolt for Reunion With Ex-Junior Linemate Where will Mitch Marner play next year? | ||
| Toronto | 3140 | 70.9 % |
| Chicago | 284 | 6.4 % |
| St. Louis | 240 | 5.4 % |
| Other | 763 | 17.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
MUST READ
TRENDING NOW
