It came as no surprise when the Toronto Maple Leafs traded Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights after months in which the relationship between the team and player had frozen. However, as the 28-year-old winger left behind Auston Matthews and company, he reportedly also turned down a bigger offer from another NHL contender.
The Marner–Matthews duo was poised to make history in Toronto. Ultimately, it failed repeatedly, and it all led to Marner’s exit. Hoping for a clean slate in Sin City, the winger had made up his mind about leaving The Six long before the trade was announced. Potential tampering aside, both the Leafs and the Golden Knights knew how it would all end a long time ago.
Now, Marner is signed to an eight-year, $96M contract in Vegas, but he could’ve signed for even more money had he joined another NHL franchise. As recent reports indicate, Marner could be earning more than an annual average value of $12M. If only he had become a free agent and signed for the Carolina Hurricanes.
“I don’t know what the number would’ve been for the Carolina Hurricanes, but it would’ve been bigger than 12×8. I’m sure of that,” insider Chris Johnston stated, per @NHL_Watcher on X.
Mitch Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs poses for a portrait ahead of the 2020 NHL All-Star Game at Enterprise Center on January 24, 2020 in St Louis, Missouri.
Storm surge
It comes as no surprise that the Hurricanes would be willing to break the piggy bank for a player like Marner. Indeed, the winger’s track record in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is far from superb, but the Canes may be down to their last bullets in the chamber.
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They will stop at nothing as they try to finally snap their curse in the Conference Final. Adding a talent of Marner’s magnitude might be just what the lineup in Raleigh had been missing.
Cost an arm and a leg
After Marner’s departure, Matthews and the Maple Leafs are in need of a top-six forward to fill the big void he left behind. However, there aren’t many options available around the NHL in that department.
One name that’s been on everyone’s lips recently is Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson, who is set to become a restricted free agent after the 2025–26 season. However, his asking price might be more than the Maple Leafs can afford.
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“The feeling has been that the ask could be to match Mikko Rantanen’s AAV, [which is of $12M],” insider Nick Kypreos, via Sportsnet. Such an expensive deal might not work for Toronto, who is currently only $5.3M over the salary cap.
