NHL Notebook: Who will sign Mitch Marner in NHL Free Agency?

Today, we’re talking Mitch Marner and *checks notes* Juho Lammikko? Let’s dive in.

Who will sign Mitch Marner?

If you’re a hockey fan, you’re gearing up for NHL Free Agency. And this one is shaping up to be a relatively big one. For what feels like the first time in a long time, teams have plenty of cap space to work with and the result is expected to be some big contracts handed out. Think back to 2016 when we saw players like Milan Lucic, Loui Eriksson *shudders* and Kyle Okposo all demand big contracts that never really worked out.

That’s what we’re expected to be in for in a few weeks’ time when free agency opens on July 1st. Big pay days — to various degrees — for Brock Boeser, Pius Suter, Sam Bennett, Ryan Donato, and others.

But among a relatively weak free agent class, there is one can’t miss 90-100+ point player available in free agency: Mitch Marner.

At this point, it seems like the longest of longshots that Marner will return to the Toronto Maple Leafs — the team Marner grew up watching, the team that drafted him, and the only team Marner has ever played for in his nine NHL seasons.

With Mikko Rantanen having already signing an extension in Dallas, Marner stands alone as the top target of this year’s crop of free agents. So who’s going to be the team that wins the sweepstakes?

Vegas Golden Knights 

There seems to be a lot of smoke surrounding the Vegas Golden Knights and their interest in Marner. While Vegas might not appear to have a ton of cap space at their disposal at the moment, we should all know by now not to worry too much about that. Vegas has shown an ability to create cap space out of thin air before, and if they really want Marner, they’ll do it again.

Whether that be through trading away a contract or two or a player needing to go on LTIR before making a miraculous recovery just in time for game one of the playoffs, cap space shouldn’t be a concern for Vegas. Marner would likely benefit from the lack of media attention in Vegas, and would be going to a contending team that’s proven they can win in the playoffs before.

San Jose Sharks or Anaheim Ducks

Or Marner could go a different route and sign with a young and supposedly up-and-coming team riddled with cap space like the San Jose Sharks, Chicago BL or Anaheim Ducks. Lack of media attention? Check. Low expectations that Marner would be sure to blow out of the water? Check.  Just getting to the playoffs would be a massive win for either of these teams, and Marner can certainly help them get there.

Chicago Blackhawks 

Another bad team with a lot of cap space? The Chicago Blackhawks.

The difference here is that Chicago isn’t exactly a “quiet” market, with the Hawks being an original six team with a storied history. They’ve also got a generational talent waiting to break out in Connor Bedard, and desperately need to get him some help as soon as possible. Signing Marner would be a move that the Blackhawks would almost certainly be open to, but would Marner want to sign there?

Carolina Hurricanes 

Undoubtedly the funniest possible outcome (unless you’re a Leafs fan) is for Marner to sign with the Hurricanes — the team Marner reportedly refused to waive his no-move clause to be traded to ahead of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. Had he waived, the Maple Leafs would have landed Rantanen, and given how well he performed for Dallas in the playoffs, there’s a real possibility the Leafs go further in the playoffs had that trade come to fruition.

Instead in this scenario, they not only get nothing in return for Marner, but also watch him walk and sign with the team he refused to go to just a few months ago. In all seriousness, Carolina has been trying forever to land a star-level forward, an now they’ve got the most cap space by a considerable margin among contending NHL teams. Could they back up the Brinks truck and deliver on the funniest outcome for non-Leafs fans?

Utah Mammoth 

Speaking of teams that would like to add a star player…

Utah — then the Hockey Club, now the Mammoth — hung around in the Western Conference Wild Card race for most of the season, and had they made a significant add at the Trade Deadline, they may have gotten there. Instead, they chose to stand pat, and are certainly going to be looking to take a step forward this offseason.

Signing Marner would be a big step toward Utah bringing playoff hockey to their fans, something any team trying to stake their claim in a new market should be trying to do.

Los Angeles Kings 

Ken Holland likely wants to make a splash in his first summer as LA Kings GM, and landing Marner would certainly be a good way to do that.

Now, would Marner be the best option for a Kings team whose biggest hurdle has been getting out of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs? We’ll leave that up to you the reader to decide…

Florida Panthers

If the Panthers lose Sam Bennett to free agency, they could do much worse than Marner as his replacement. Of course, this is one team that fans everywhere will be dreading, with Florida currently on the brink of winning their second-straight Stanley Cup and showing no signs of stopping any time soon.

Random Canucks-ish news item: Juho Lammikko signs with the Devils

Do you remember the name Juho Lammikko? Well, you should.

The Canucks traded Olli Juolevi to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Lammikko and defenceman Noah Juulsen ahead of the 2021-22 season, and Lammikko went on to play 75 games for the Canucks that season.

Now, that Canucks team wasn’t very good, but Lammikko formed a line with Matthew Highmore and Tyler Motte that had a month-or-so stretch of being arguably the best bottom six line the Canucks had iced all season. Of course, that had more to do with the rest of the lineup than it did that trio, but the energy those three brought on every shift made it easy to root for them.

The Canucks broke up the band quickly by trading Motte at the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline and allowing Highmore and Lammikko to walk in free agency. The Canucks have made the playoffs just once since then.

Coincidence?

The New Jersey Devils don’t appear to think so.

On Monday, the Devils announced that they had signed Lammikko to a one-year one-way deal worth $800,000. That means that whether Lammikko plays in the NHL or the AHL, he will be paid $800,000.

Lammikko is coming off back-to-back championships with the ZC Lions of the National League (the top Swiss pro men’s league) and put up 38 points through 48 games this past season. Through 159 career NHL games, Lammikko, a defence-first centre, has 11 goals and 15 assists to his name.