It’s time for another round of NHL rumours. We’re into Day 3 of the free agent period, but there’s still plenty of chatter going on. The dust has settled, but is still plenty of speculation about possible trades. We saw a swaps happen, but the big blockbuster deal hasn’t happened as of yet. One of the teams that’s had constant trade talks is the Toronto Maple Leafs. An update on where a certain star forward may be headed is the focus of this edition of NHL rumours.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Toronto Maple Leafs Forward Trade Rumour Update
Rumour: Both Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff and David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period offered updates on if Leafs forward Mitch Marner will be traded.
Mitch Marner's future in Toronto is still up in the air.
Presented by @bet365ca #NeverOrdinary #bet365 pic.twitter.com/zlvNHAUd3a
— Daily Faceoff (@DailyFaceoff) June 28, 2024
Analysis: Marner holds all the cards in this situation as he’s in the last year of his deal and has a full no-movement clause. The former London Knight would have to waive his no-trade clause in order for a deal to happen. Seravalli mentioned hat the Leafs have publicly stated that the club intends on letting the season play out.
However, the key word is intend and the Leafs could be making calls behind the scenes. The main responsibility for Toronto General Manager Brad Treliving is trying to find a deal. According to Seravalli, it doesn’t make sense to twist Marner’s arm into a deal unless the right deal comes along.
A Limited List
Pagnotta appeared on The Leafs Morning Take to discuss where Marner could possibly go. The insider believes there are a total of four teams that Marmer might be willing be dealt to. However, Pagnotta was mum on where Marner could approve a deal. The Leafs are listening, but it’s ultimately Marner’s call before the wheels get set into motion.
It’s highly unlikely that Marner would waive his no-trade clause to go to a rebuilding team just because they have cap space. A deal to a pace like the San Jose Sharks or Utah Hockey Club is kind of unlikely. The trade would probably be to a contender or big market if Marner does agree to a trade.
Rolling the Dice
We’ve stated in previous editions of NHL rumours that the Vegas Golden Knights were thought be asking about Marner. It would logically make sense that a contender like Vegas would ask about Marner. Golden Knights General Manager Kelly McCrimmon isn’t afraid to swing for the fences on a big trade. Vegas has made plays for Jack Eichel, Noah Hanifin and others in their brief tenure in the league. Seravalli mentioned Vegas could come back to the idea of acquiring Marner.
It would make sense that Marner could waive his no-trade clause to go to the Golden Knights. However, Vegas would have to shift plenty of money around or include some established players in return to balance the books.
Vegas only signed Ilya Samsonov one the first day of free agency and the Knights missed out on bringing back both Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson. Vegas also missed out on Steven Stamkos this off-season. There are worries about scoring and circling back to Marner could be something McCrimmon does.
Main photo by: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
