The Toronto Maple Leafs could be in need of a star forward if Mitch Marner walks in free agency.
Marner is the top free agent available, and all signs point to him leaving. With free agency not being the best, Toronto could look at the trade market to replace Marner.
NHL insider Joe Yerdon of Bleacher Report linked the Maple Leafs to trading for Dallas Stars star forward Jason Robertson.
“If the Toronto Maple Leafs watch forward Mitch Marner walk in free agency come July 1, they’re going to have a massive hole to fill up front,” Yerdon wrote. “He is a top player in the league and nearly impossible to replace, unless they traded for Robertson… If the Leafs found a way to add Robertson after Marner walked, the pieces to be written about whether they upgraded or not would heat many small midwestern cities for a month.
“Do we want to get into how Toronto could swing such a trade? Well, that’s the tricky part. The Leafs lack top prospects to move and don’t have a first-round pick for the next three years,” Yerdon added. “Those are two remarkably high hurdles to clear to make a trade, but weirder things have happened.”
Robertson recorded 35 goals and 45 assists for 80 points in 82 games. He would be a good replacement for Marner and add some much-needed offense to the Maple Leafs roster. His brother, Nick, plays for Toronto, which could help a move happen.
Robertson is in the final year of his four-year, $31 million deal.
Robertson Named as Trade Candidate
After Dallas was eliminated in the Western Conference Finals, the Stars could make some major changes.
NHL insider Jeff Marek of DailyFaceoff named Robertson as a trade candidate for Dallas.
“Could the Stars move someone like Jason Robertson, who has one more year on his deal at an incredible $7.75 million value, to try to recoup Draft capital and free up cap space to once again go big-game hunting in the summer?…,” Marek wrote. “And if (and it’s a big ‘if’) the Stars move Robertson, do we start to hear Mitch Marner’s name attached to Dallas?”
Robertson being traded would be a surprise. But the Stars could get a ton for Robertson, and it would shake up their roster. Several NHL teams would also be interested in Robertson, even though he has just one year left on his deal.
Maple Leafs GM Uncertain on Marner’s Future
Marner is the top free agent available and will have several teams interested in him.
After Toronto was eliminated from the playoffs, Maple Leafs’ general manager Brad Treliving was noncommittal on Marner returning.
“This isn’t a deflection. I think Mitch is a tremendous player,” Treliving said. “I think he’s a star. We’re in that process right now. I had a meeting with all of the players individually, we do our exit meetings. Mitch and I had a discussion. It’s emotional right now. My discussion with Mitch was ‘let’s all take a step back, let’s take a deep breath.’ I gotta decompress a little bit.”
Marner, meanwhile, also was mum on his future as all signs are pointing to him hitting July 1.
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