Trusted Pundit Claims That Mitch Marner Isn’t Returning to the Maple Leafs

Marner, who is 28 years old, scored 27 goals and added 75 assists for 102 points through 81 games this season. He will have plenty of suitors if he does hit the open market, as he has proven he can provide consistent offensive stability in both the regular season and postseason.

Strickland added that if Marner does hit the open market, which he reported will happen, it opens the door for John Tavares to re-sign and re-join the Maple Leafs next season.

Marner is a stronger all-around player than Tavares, but keeping Tavares around stabilizes their depth and allows the Maple Leafs to spend money elsewhere this offseason. While the report hasn’t been backed up and is still speculation at this point, it’s interesting to think about what life will be like for them after Marner leaves, and what it could mean for the future of their team.

Who Could The Maple Leafs Target to Replace Marner?

There will be plenty of options to replace Marner this summer, and while none of them would be able to directly replace the production he brought them, there are still some strong options. Brock Boeser and Nikolaj Ehlers will be two of the best players available on the open market this summer and could be costly, but the Maple Leafs targeting them could make sense if they want to make a splash for a big-name free agent.

They could pivot to a veteran like Brad Marchand if he doesn’t ask for too much money, or they could gauge the trade market for another star player like Jason Robertson or JJ Peterka, but they will have plenty of money to spend if Marner does test free agency. There is speculation that Marner is looking for more than $14 million annually, which seems a bit high for what the Maple Leafs can afford. They can take that money elsewhere and bolster their depth at forward and on their blue line.

At the end of the day, it seems inevitable that the Maple Leafs will have to plan for life without Marner. There is always a possibility that Marner ends up re-signing with the Maple Leafs, and all the speculation ends up being wrong, but they would be dumb not to consider alternatives just in case. We will see what happens, but the Maple Leafs are running out of time to bring him back, if there’s still a possibility he’s open to it.

As the 2024-25 postseason moves along, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news from around the NHL and the hockey world.