Mitch Marner is a big fish who will almost certainly be out of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2025–26 NHL season, as he’s expected to become a free agent once his contract with the Canadian franchise expires in July. In the meantime, the Philadelphia Flyers have emerged as a potential destination.
Landing Marner would be a major coup for any NHL team. He’s a player who guarantees 100 goals per season and was instrumental in helping the Maple Leafs reach the playoffs, where they lost in seven games to the Florida Panthers.
After spending his entire career in Toronto since the 2016–17 season, Marner seems ready to take on new challenges. With Canadian franchises ruled out of his list of possible destinations, the 28-year-old forward has reportedly drawn interest from the Flyers—but there’s one piece of news that could impact that interest.
Why could the Flyers’ interest in Marner be affected?
The move that might affect the Flyers’ pursuit of Marner is their four-year, $16 million contract extension with forward Noah Cates. At 26 years old, Cates is coming off a strong season with 16 goals and 21 assists in 78 games, establishing himself as a key part of the team’s rebuilding efforts.
Cates signed for $4.16 million per year through 2029, which isn’t a massive contract but does take up cap space. Marner is believed to be seeking around $13 million per year, meaning the Flyers would need to make additional financial moves to make a deal possible.
A strong destination
According to Bleacher Report insider Adam Herman, the Flyers are actually an ideal landing spot: “The Flyers are in a much better position than their record from last season suggests,” Herman said. Investing in young players doesn’t necessarily block Marner’s arrival, but it does slightly limit Philadelphia’s flexibility.