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The Toronto Maple Leafs’ core four of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares, and Mitch Marner have a lot on the line this season. Many consider this to be the last dance for this core.
Many Leafs fans have focused on Mitch Marner throughout the last few seasons due to his poor playoff performances. At the end of the season, Marner will become an unrestricted free agent, and Toronto will have to decide whether or not to re-sign him.
Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos said, “The Leafs are seen with two options as Mitch Marner enters the final season of his contract: either find the money to extend him or treat him as a rental for one last playoff run, similar to how the Lightning handled Steven Stamkos before letting him walk in the offseason.” He added that Toronto could copy what the Tampa Bay Lightning did with Steven Stamkos, letting him leave in free agency and replacing him with Jake Guentzel.
Kypreos noted that the Leafs could pursue free agents Sam Bennett, Mikko Rantanen, or Brad Marchand.
Out of these three free agents, if they hit the market. I could see Sam Bennett being a realistic target for Toronto as he connections with general manager Brad Treliving from their time in Calgary.
Bennett is a strong two-way player for the Florida Panthers. He plays a gritty style but can put the puck in the back of the net. Bennett would strengthen Toronto’s wing and give them an edge they haven’t had in the playoffs for a long time.
Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche is a player who is the complete package. If he hits the market, Toronto should seriously consider him. He has size, speed, and unmatched scoring ability. Rantanen, centred by Auston Matthews, would be a deadly combo and, I think, could be a more dangerous line than Matthews/Marner. He is a player that Brad Treliving and Craig Berube love.
This one seems the most unlikely, but it would be interesting if Toronto took a shot at signing Brad Marchand. He has been a thorn in the side of the Leafs and their fans for many years. Marchand, known league-wide as a rat, is a player teams hate to play against but would love to have on their team.
Similar to Rantanen, Marchand is an elite offensive player with grit. Not known for being the biggest player in the game, Marchand has heart. With his ability to raise his game in high-pressure situations, he would be a key piece in the Maple Leafs’ lineup and bring in a big veteran presence.
The most important thing about all three players is that they have won the Stanley Cup and know what it takes to succeed in high-profile games and situations. Toronto has lacked this for a long time. Bringing in players with this championship experience could give the Leafs the missing piece needed to achieve playoff success.
