Toronto Maple Leafs News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Jared McCann, Seattle Kraken (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Ranking the Maple Leafs’ Best Options to Replace Mitch Marner

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By The Old Prof | Last updated Jun 23, 2025 10:50 AM ET

With Mitch Marner’s time with the Blue & White likely ending, the Toronto Maple Leafs are asking a tricky question: How do you replace a player who does everything? While Marner’s critics focus on his playoff struggles, his all-situations impact—power play, penalty kill, zone exits, and puck distribution—is undeniable. Replacing him isn’t about finding someone with a similar skillset; it’s about deciding what kind of team you want to become without him.

Here are three potential names that have surfaced in trade and free-agent speculation—and how they compare as possible solutions. I have ranked these in terms of where the organization should prioritize them.

Potential Replacement One: Jared McCann, The Quiet Star with the Two-Way Game

If there’s one name that makes sense as a Marner replacement—not just in production, but in versatility—it’s Jared McCann. The Stratford, Ontario, native is in his prime at age 29 and coming off a 61-point season with the Seattle Kraken. Two years ago, he hit 40 goals. The Maple Leafs had him and let him slip away; it was a mistake.

McCann can slot in at centre or wing, contributes on both special teams, and brings a smart, 200-foot game that would align with head coach Craig Berube’s priorities. He’s also on a manageable contract ($5 million average annual value for two more years) with a limited no-trade clause, and any hard feelings from being exposed in the 2021 Expansion Draft probably left with the old Maple Leafs regime.

He won’t replace Marner’s playmaking flash, but he might replace Marner’s all-around reliability—and that’s what Toronto needs more. McCann would be my choice of the three solid players listed here.

Potential Replacement Two: Steven Stamkos, The Sentimental Favourite with Scoring Punch

Few names come with more cachet than Steven Stamkos. The longtime Tampa Bay Lightning captain is a Stanley Cup winner, a respected leader, and a close friend of John Tavares. On paper, he brings the kind of experience and clutch scoring Toronto has been searching for. In some ways, the two players seem close to being twins of each other, with slightly different skill sets but similar impact.

Steven Stamkos, Nashville Predators (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

The redundancy between Stamkos and Tavares isn’t the problem—it’s a benefit. The idea of having two experienced, intelligent centres who can rotate between the middle and wing, drive the power play, and give the team depth down the middle is appealing. You could easily see them flipping roles based on matchups, injuries, or late-game situations. In a win-now window, that kind of flexibility would be a strength, not a flaw.

But the real issue is the contract optics. If Tavares is likely to re-sign on a hometown discount—somewhere in the $5.5 million range, just over what Matt Duchene took in Dallas—bringing in Stamkos at $8 million creates a problem. It effectively resets the market for Tavares, making it almost impossible for the Maple Leafs to offer him less without it feeling like a slap in the face. Worse still, after asking him to step aside as captain, acquiring a near-identical player for more money would be tone-deaf and damaging inside the room. The fit might work on the ice, but recovering from the message it sends off the ice would be hard. While I’d love to see Stamkos in Toronto, the falling dominoes make it nearly impossible.

Potential Replacement Three: Brock Boeser, The Power Play Threat Who Might Frustrate Fans

Brock Boeser will score goals—there’s no doubt about that. He’s particularly dangerous down low on the power play and has notched six 23-plus goal seasons in his career. But from what we’ve seen in Vancouver, he’s not the kind of player who drives play or elevates teammates consistently. He can disappear when games get heavy, something that’s drawn criticism from Canucks fans over the years.

If Toronto truly aims to become harder to play against under Berube, Boeser’s more finesse-driven, perimeter style could quickly wear thin. He’s not a penalty killer or a grinder, and while he can fill some of the offensive void left by Marner, his presence would likely make fans miss Marner’s all-situations excellence even more. He’s linked to the Anaheim Ducks and will probably draw a solid pay cheque to land there. He’d drive Maple Leafs fans mad, sort of in a Justin Holl kind of way.

The Bottom Line for the Maple Leafs

In the end, there is no one-for-one Marner replacement. But the Maple Leafs don’t need one—they need clarity on what kind of team they’re building. McCann offers the most balanced blend of skill, structure, and value. Stamkos brings leadership and scoring, but at a steep price and with roster complications. Boeser, while talented, would only highlight how much Marner did that fans took for granted.

Brock Boeser, Vancouver Canucks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Replacing Marner is one of those impossible tasks that simultaneously feels right and wrong. There’s no clear win here. From where I sit, Marner brought some of this on himself—his approach to this current negotiation echoes the same tone that first soured parts of the fanbase years ago. And yet, when the dust finally settles, Maple Leafs fans will feel relief and regret. They’ll be glad he’s gone and still somehow miss him.

The Marner situation is one of the strangest, most emotionally tangled problems I’ve encountered while writing about this team over eight seasons.