NHL Insider Reveals Real Reason Marner-Rantanen Trade Fell Through for the Leafs
Photo credit: Imagn imagesIsaiah J. Downing
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman revealed Mitch Marner's no-trade clause wasn't the main reason the Rantanen trade fell through at the deadline with the Hurricanes.
Around the NHL's trade deadline last season, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman dropped a bombshell, noting that the Leafs asked Mitch Marner to waive his no-trade clause so they could land Mikko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes.
Ultimately, the Hurricanes dealt Rantanen to the Dallas Stars, and Marner confirmed Friedman's reports a few days later.
Maple Leafs Made Other Offers For Rantanen
With Marner unwilling to waive his no-trade clause, the Leafs reportedly put other packages together in an attempt to land the former Colorado Avalanche star, but nothing met the price Carolina was looking for.
Instead, Marner was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in June in the deal that brought centre Nicolas Roy to Toronto.
Friedman Reveals Hurricanes Had Fears Making Deal With Eastern Conference
On Friday's 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Friedman revealed that while Marner was part of the reason the deal fell through, it was the Hurricanes that ultimately decided against sending the Stanley Cup Champion to the Leafs.
"I think at the end of the day, I don't think the Hurricanes were interested in trading Rantanen to Toronto because they were worried about seeing him in the playoffs."
Carolina's intuitions were right, although the Leafs failed to advance to the Conference Finals. Rantanen torched the Avalanche in the post-season last year and continued to haunt them earlier this season.
Had the Leafs been able to land Rantanen, Brad Treliving wouldn't currently be looking for a top-six forward to fill the void left by Marner.
How Treliving will address the need for a top-six forward remains to be seen, but the absence of Marner is being felt in Toronto as head coach Craig Berube continues to shuffle lines to find something that works.
| POLL | ||
2 HOURS AGO | 47 ANSWERS NHL Insider Reveals Real Reason Marner-Rantanen Trade Fell Through for the Leafs Who do you blame for the Marner debacle? | ||
TRENDING NOW
