Marner Set to Depart Maple Leafs & More NHL Rumours

Strickland states, “Heading into the season, the Leafs were expected to allow the veteran center to walk. With Marner leaving that mindset has changed.” The plan has changed a bit, but the outcome of retaining one of the players still seems to be on the docket for the Maple Leafs.

Report Suggests Marner Could Be Highest-Paid Player in NHL

There has been plenty of speculation about who is going to land Marner in free agency, and at times, fingers have pointed to the Los Angeles Kings, Vegas Golden Knights, and now, the Hurricanes seem to be the team to watch.

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period posted on X, stating that the expectation is that the Hurricanes will make a massive offer to Marner. He says that the idea of a seven-year deal with an average annual value of $14 million or more shouldn’t be a surprise.

Over the past few seasons, the Hurricanes have made attempts to add true superstar-calibre players to the lineup. They acquired Jake Guentzel, Mikko Rantanen, were in the mix for Elias Pettersson at times, and now Marner. It is clear that they are looking to make that big addition, but the question some are asking is if Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon is willing to put forward that much money into one asset.

Marner seems like he would be a good fit for the Hurricanes. His play style could mesh very well under the systems that Rod Brind’Amour uses as the head coach, but he adds enough offensive power that giving him a big contract is worth it.

Paying Marner “above $14 million,” as Pagnotta states, would make him the highest-paid player in NHL history. Right now, Leon Draisaitl leads the way at $14 million per season, but if Marner is to top that, it would be a statement of a contract offer by any team that hands that out.

Atlanta Moves Closer to New NHL Team With Arena Plans Approved

Krause Sports and Entertainment has been putting together everything they need for an official bid to bring the NHL back to Atlanta. After the relocation of the Atlanta Flames and Atlanta Thrashers, a strong, committed ownership group is exactly what the city needs. All fingers point toward it being a market in which an NHL team should thrive, and with Forsyth County approving the plans for a $3 billion development called “The Gathering at South Forsyth”, which will be an entertainment district with a star attraction of an NHL arena.

The X account “NHL to Atlanta” has done an excellent job of giving all updates relevant to the potential expansion, posted the following, “Forsyth County votes to approve the final documentation that would allow the Krause group to formally propose NHL expansion into metro Atlanta. The group is now expected to present its complete proposal to the NHL in the coming weeks.The vote, which passed this evening, was widely seen as the final hurdle; expansion is likely imminent.”.

In another report, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli stated, “…this is very legitimate. This is the Krause Group in Atlanta with the Forsyth County. They’ve been operating at full steam here.”

Anything can change at any time, but as of now, the NHL expanding to Atlanta seems to be a matter of when, rather than if. Of course, Houston has been rumoured to be working hard on an expansion team, and could be another desirable location for the league, but Atlanta seems to be the next city for the NHL.