Marner and Tavares heavily linked to Stanley Cup contender in free agency

Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Mitch Marner. Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Mitch Marner and John Tavares heavily linked to Stanley Cup contender in free agency

Originally posted on Hockey Patrol | By Chris Gerics | Last updated Mar 18, 2025 8:14 AM ET

Pending free agents Mitch Marner and John Tavares are expected to entertain offers come July 1, but one team has decided it'd like to cause a storm this summer.

As the days tick away, the Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to figure out whether Mitch Marner and John Tavares are going to re-sign with the team. While they want to make a championship run with the Leafs, they've been unsuccessful for several years, and they may want to move on.

Several teams will be looking at both men come July 1, and with Mikko Rantanen off the market, Marner is undoubtedly the biggest free agent.

Speaking of, one of the teams interested knows all about how Rantanen's deal played out; considering it dealt him there in the first place.

According to NHL TSN insider Pierre LeBrun, the Carolina Hurricanes are expected to make a big play for not only Marner, but Tavares come summer.

"The Carolina Hurricanes are 'expected to pursue' Mitch Marner if he ends up hitting free agency this summer. Carolina will have ample cap flexibility in part because Stankoven is still on his entry-level contract through next season. The Hurricanes project to have $36 million to work with, though Taylor Hall, Brent Burns, Dmitry Orlov, and Frederik Andersen are among the club's biggest pending unrestricted free agents," LeBrun wrote.
"That cap space could allow Carolina to go big-game hunting this summer, with Marner headlining a group of top UFAs-including a whole bunch of other high-profile names and even fellow Leaf John Tavares."

Carolina Hurricanes Big Players For Mitch Marner and John Tavares Come July 1

It isn't surprising that the Hurricanes are interested in Marner, as the team was close to a deal to acquire the pending free agent for Rantanen before it sent him south to Dallas.

But Tavares is certainly an interesting case. Carolina would offer him a solid role in its top nine, an equal or better chance at winning at the end of his career and could join Marner knowing he has some stability and chemistry from years past.

It could also set its sights on adding names like Aaron Ekblad or Sam Bennett (if he doesn't re-sign) or perhaps it could grab someone like Yanni Gourde as a smaller but still valuable piece.

If Toronto isn't careful, not only is it going to lose out on Marner, who is more than likely headed out of town unless the Leafs pull off a wild bit of negotiation over the next few weeks.

It may also lose out on Tavares, who may have more to give in his eyes and look for a payday that Toronto might not be able to afford.

This article first appeared on Hockey Patrol and was syndicated with permission.

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