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Reporter Reveals Maple Leafs May Find Mitch Marner Replacement in New York
Photo credit: Dennis Schneidler - Imagn Images
The Maple Leafs will have an abundance of cap space if Mitch Marner does choose to leave and may explore acquiring a former 50-goal scorer from the New York Rangers.
To the surprise of many, the New York Rangers struggled mightily last season, leading to them sending a memo to the rest of the NHL citing that they would listen to offers on multiple players including Chris Kreider.
Ultimately, nothing intrigued the Rangers' interest enough to move the 34-year-old, but according to The Fourth Period's Dave Pagnotta, the Rangers will once again explore trading their power forward this off-season.
In discussing the Rangers and Kreider, Pagnotta mentioned that the Leafs could explore acquiring the former 50-goal scorer as part of the replacement plan for Marner.
"I expect the Rangers to listen again and make calls on Chris Kreider.
For a team that is looking to pluck someone away because of New York's cap situation -- if a team like the Leafs, or another club feel that Kreider is someone that can get back to 30-goal form.
If he can get back to that at a $6.5M clip the next two seasons, that's not a bad risk to take. I could certainly see the Leafs exploring that possibility."
For a team that is looking to pluck someone away because of New York's cap situation -- if a team like the Leafs, or another club feel that Kreider is someone that can get back to 30-goal form.
If he can get back to that at a $6.5M clip the next two seasons, that's not a bad risk to take. I could certainly see the Leafs exploring that possibility."
At 34 and carrying a $6.5M cap hit the next two seasons, the Leafs would certainly be getting older up front, but acquiring Kreider, who can still skate well, would add a hulking, physical presence to the top-six as well as a penalty killer to replace Marner.
A summer full of change is expected by Leafs Nation, and although most likely wouldn't agree with acquiring an older forward, if the Leafs can get him for the right price, it would still leave the Leafs with plenty of cap space to add more pieces to the forward group.
| POLL | ||
MAI 24 | 4487 ANSWERS Reporter Reveals Maple Leafs May Find Mitch Marner Replacement in New York Would Chris Kreider be a good fit for the Leafs? | ||
| Yes | 1702 | 37.9 % |
| No | 1658 | 37 % |
| If they can get him at a reasonable price | 1127 | 25.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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