{"id":50152,"date":"2019-06-28T13:00:47","date_gmt":"2019-06-28T17:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=50152"},"modified":"2020-12-21T15:09:45","modified_gmt":"2020-12-21T20:09:45","slug":"nhl-rumours-toronto-maple-leafs-mitch-marner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2019\/06\/28\/nhl-rumours-toronto-maple-leafs-mitch-marner\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL Rumours: Toronto Maple Leafs, Mitch Marner, Winnipeg Jets, and More"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With the window for teams to talk to both to RFAs and UFAs now open, the NHL Rumours are plentiful. New information is swirling around teams and players alike. Last Word on Hockey continues to cover all NHL rumours around the league, as the July 1st date comes closer. In today&#8217;s second edition of NHL rumours, we look at rumours surrounding the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com\/nhl-teams\/maple-leafs\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com\/nhl-teams\/jets\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Winnipeg Jets<\/a>, <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/p\/paveljo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joe Pavelski<\/a><\/strong>, and <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/v\/vanekth01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Thomas Vanek<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1>NHL Rumours<\/h1>\n<h2>Toronto Maple Leafs<\/h2>\n<p><em>Rumour<\/em>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefourthperiod.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">David Pagnotta<\/a> reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs may be one of many teams interested in <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com\/nhl-teams\/canucks\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vancouver Canucks<\/a> free agent <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/h\/huttobe01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ben Hutton<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Ben Hutton has received a lot of interest league-wide. Canucks still in mix, but numerous teams, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, have reached out.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheFourthPeriod\/status\/1144404303706238978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 28, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em>Analysis<\/em>: It&#8217;s no shock to see the Leafs pursuing Hutton. Hutton was one of five Canuks RFAs to not receive a qualifying offer. Among the other four are <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/g\/gauncbr01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brendan Gaunce<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/p\/poulide01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Derrick Pouliot<\/a><\/strong>. The Canucks likely let such well-known names walk as part of a desire to make changes to a team that missed the playoffs again last season. They also look to create salary cap space. They have roughly $15.5 million in space and will hope to re-sign\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/b\/boesebr01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brock Boeser<\/a><\/strong> and\u00a0add talent to the roster.<\/p>\n<p>Hutton would be a great addition to the Leafs lineup. With <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/g\/gardija01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jake Gardiner<\/a><\/strong> potentially on the way out, the team will need to add to their blueline group. While Hutton is by no means as good as Gardiner, he is still a great depth addition. Last season, he tallied 20 points in 69 games last year. With his play, it wouldn&#8217;t be a surprise to see this point total steadily climb with a new team. The 26-year-old defenceman had his fair share of struggles in the defensive end but was a difference maker in the offensive zone. With the right team around him, there is seemingly a fair amount of untapped potential.<\/p>\n<h2>Toronto Maple Leafs<\/h2>\n<p><em>Rumour<\/em>: The NHL rumours in Toronto don&#8217;t end with Hutton. It was also reported by TSN&#8217;s Darren Dreger that multiple teams are speculated to have reached out to <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/m\/marnemi01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mitch Marner<\/a><\/strong>. Despite this, Marner&#8217;s camp is still in regular discussions with the Leafs organization.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">As expected the outside interest in Mitch Marner has been brisk with the interview period now open. Sources say multiple teams have reached out. Meanwhile, daily discussions between agent Darren Ferris and Leafs GM, Kyle Dubas continue.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DarrenDreger\/status\/1143928002285383680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 26, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em>Analysis<\/em>: While this may seem like inconsequential news, it does provide one answer: teams would seemingly be willing to send an offer sheet to Marner. The open market could be fairly unforgiving to the young star who has been rumoured to be looking for a big contract with his negotiations thus far. It&#8217;s likely that any offer sheet extended would cost the signing team four first-round picks in compensation.<\/p>\n<p>The drama around Marner continues to swirl, with many going back and forth on his worthiness of a $10 million AAV or more deal. Elliotte Friedman <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/hockey\/nhl\/cant-see-leafs-trading-marner-theyre-making-calls-others\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">reported<\/a> in mid-June that Marner was potentially looking for a cap hit around $11 million. He also said that he doesn&#8217;t believe Marner is willing to commit to a long-term deal, stretching over seven or eight years.<\/p>\n<p>All prospective teams have likely been made aware of these contract restraints. It&#8217;s safe to assume that Marner&#8217;s camp is working on two ends. While Leafs general manager <strong>Kyle Dubas<\/strong> looks to widdle away at those restraints and re-sign Marner, the star forward is likely also looking for any team willing to agree to those terms. It will be a race to see which end of the wick burns quicker. Fans will be at bay, waiting to see if Dubas can talk down Marner before another team agrees to his terms. Contracts for similar players, like <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/p\/pointbr01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brayden Point<\/a><\/strong>, will also become crucial factors in Marner&#8217;s decision.<\/p>\n<h2>Winnipeg Jets<\/h2>\n<p><em>Rumour<\/em>: The Athletic&#8217;s Pierre LeBrun reports that <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/c\/connoky01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kyle Connor<\/a><\/strong> has also had a fairly eventful start to the discussion window. While Connor is still likely to return to Winnipeg, many other teams are hoping to sway that decision.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The intent is still very much to negotiate and sign a contract with Winnipeg but hearing that some teams reached out to the Kyle Connor camp today on the first day of the RFA speaking period<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PierreVLeBrun\/status\/1143989710752288768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 26, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em>Analysis<\/em>:\u00a0We reported <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2019\/06\/27\/nhl-rumours-montreal-canadiens-winnipeg\/\" target=\"_self\">yesterday<\/a>\u00a0that the Winnipeg Jets intended to match any offer sheets extended to either Connor or <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/l\/lainepa01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Patrik Laine<\/a><\/strong>. With recent updates, it seems like Winnipeg might have to put their money where their mouth is. Connor is a hot-topic free agent. With so much press surrounding high-end players like <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/p\/panarar01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Artemi Panarin<\/a><\/strong>, Marner, and <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/d\/duchema01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Matt Duchene<\/a><\/strong>, it&#8217;s been very easy to forget about Winnipeg&#8217;s cap issues.<\/p>\n<p>The Jets have $23 million in cap space but have just 14 players under contract on their NHL roster, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.capfriendly.com\/teams\/jets\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CapFriendly<\/a>. Among this list are players likely to receive top-dollar deals like Laine, and Connor. The Jets might also need to replace unrestricted free agent\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/m\/myersty01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tyler Myers<\/a><\/strong>. Adding to the issue is the host of moderately priced free agents in Winnipeg. This includes players like <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/c\/coppan01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Andrew Copp<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and newly-acquired <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/p\/pionkne01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Neal Pionk<\/a><\/strong>. While they will likely receive modest deals, the combined totals could severely dent the team&#8217;s chances of re-signing their stars.<\/p>\n<p>Connor is a great player to pursue for any team looking for a young player to man their top-six. He is coming off of yet another strong year, where he tallied 66 points in 82 games. This was nine more than his 2017-18 total. Connor is also a two-time 30-goal scorer. The 22-year-old continues to show his prowess in the league and could make a considerable impact for any team that is able to successfully offer sheet him.<\/p>\n<h2>Joe Pavelski<\/h2>\n<p><em>Rumour<\/em>: LeBrun also reported that Joe Pavelski met with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com\/nhl-teams\/stars\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dallas Stars<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com\/nhl-teams\/lightning\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tampa Bay Lightning<\/a> on Wednesday. He mentions that a third, unknown team, may also have arranged an in-person meeting, while many others have spoken with Pavelski over the phone.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">In fact Pavelski after meeting with the Stars this morning is already in Tampa tonight meeting with the Lightning. There\u2019s potential for a third team visit, I don\u2019t know which team. Plus he\u2019s talked with several teams on the phone this week <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lvSwbEO3RD\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/lvSwbEO3RD<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PierreVLeBrun\/status\/1144042903632863234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 27, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em>Analysis<\/em>: Pavelski has been ostracized out of San Jose despite captaining the team since 2015. With the pricey extension given to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/k\/karlser01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Erik Karlsson<\/a>, and players like <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/m\/meierti01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Timo Meier<\/a><\/strong>, <strong>Kevin Labanc<\/strong>, and <strong>Joe Thornton<\/strong> still without contracts, it seems like Pavelski is the odd-man-out. This is especially considering the fact that San Jose has a mere $14 million in cap room to re-sign said players.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, Pavelski is beginning his trip around the league. He&#8217;d be an amazing addition to any roster, proving to be an elite goal-scorer even at his age. He placed fourth in our ranking of the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2019\/06\/26\/free-agent-frenzy-top-10-nhl-free-agent-forwards-2\/\" target=\"_self\">top 10 UFA forwards<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>What&#8217;s interesting are Pavelski&#8217;s choices so far. He has met with both Dallas and Tampa thus far. Meanwhile, other teams are kept to a simple phone meeting. While this is almost certainly a result of travel plans, it&#8217;s hard not to speculate a bit. With the 34-year-old Pavelski likely signing his last contract before retirement, it wouldn&#8217;t be a shock to see him joining a strong roster like Tampa in hopes of winning his first Stanley Cup. The questions arise when looking at whether this Cup-chasing will require he takes a discount or not.<\/p>\n<h2>Thomas Vanek<\/h2>\n<p><em>Rumour<\/em>: The Athletic&#8217;s Max Bultman reported that Thomas Vanek is likely leaving the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com\/nhl-teams\/red-wings\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Detroit Red Wings<\/a> this summer. He says that Vanek has already begun talking with other teams.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Thomas Vanek&#39;s camp is talking with other teams and have been informed there&#39;s probably not a fit between him and Detroit for this year.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Max Bultman (@m_bultman) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/m_bultman\/status\/1144355029610127360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 27, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em>Analysis<\/em>: This is, again, no surprise. The journeyman Vanek was expected to be on his way out of Detroit for quite some time. This simply seems to be the confirmation. The Red Wings are looking towards a new, young core to spark a rebuild, something Vanek is fairly out-of-place in.<\/p>\n<p>Still, Vanek is another great player for teams that don&#8217;t mind his age. He has proven that he can still produce regularly, netting over 40 points in four of the last six seasons. Last year, he recorded 36 points in 64 games with Detroit. Of those 36 points, a respectable 16 were goals. These numbers are great for prospective teams to see, proving that Vanek&#8217;s age has yet to get the best of him. Despite not getting much press thus far, Vanek will be an exciting name to follow as July 1st rolls around. His last contract, signed last summer, had a $3 million cap hit. Whether he&#8217;ll receive close to that number again is up-for-debate.<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo:<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"o_8PClziQK5yFFyYS8IPyA\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1143100917\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'o_8PClziQK5yFFyYS8IPyA',sig:'kIersNd6MZtQq0PV3C1dWlrIsOzFal0Zu6bjHwl_8J0=',w:'594px',h:'362px',items:'1143100917',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the window for teams to talk to both to RFAs and UFAs now open, the NHL Rumours are plentiful. New information is swirling around teams and players alike. Last Word on Hockey continues to cover all NHL rumours around the league, as the July 1st date comes closer. In today&#8217;s second edition of NHL [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1628,"featured_media":50158,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18,4,2,4321,33],"tags":[37,368,702,229,38,5715,3877,436,321,72,357],"class_list":["post-50152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-leafs","category-redwings","category-featured","category-rumours","category-jets","tag-hockey","tag-joe-pavelski","tag-kyle-connor","tag-mitch-marner","tag-nhl","tag-nhl-rumors","tag-nhl-rumours","tag-patrik-laine","tag-thomas-vanek","tag-toronto-maple-leafs","tag-winnipeg-jets"],"modified_by":"Ben Kerr","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50152","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1628"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50152"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50152\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50152"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}