The Toronto Maple Leafs face the challenge of replacing Mitch Marner, who is expected to become a free agent. The team led by star <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/auston-matthews" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Auston Matthews</a> may already have a potential successor lined up for the 2025–26 <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/nhl" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NHL</a> season.



Marner is in the final year of his six-year, $65.4 million contract with the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/toronto-maple-leafs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Maple Leafs</a>, signed in September 2019. The deal, which carries an average annual value of $10.9 million, is set to expire on July 1, 2025. At this point, there is little chance the two sides will reach a new agreement.



Toronto is in the midst of a major rebuild after being eliminated by the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/florida-panthers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Florida Panthers</a> in a seven-game second-round playoff series. As part of the expected wave of changes, it appears that Marner is no longer in the Matthews’ team’s plans and could be replaced.



<h2>Who could replace Marner?</h2>



According to Editor in Leaf, <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/mitch-marner" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marner</a>’s natural replacement could be young prospect Easton Cowan, especially if the veteran winger does end up leaving the franchise, as now seems likely. Cowan is a promising talent within the Canadian organization and is projected to become a future star.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20250603_BUS_410193_Mitch-Marner-16-of-the-Toronto-Maple-Leafs-looks-on-following-a-5-1-loss-against-the-St.-Louis-Blue-1024x576_b4549993.webp&amp;width=1024&amp;height=576" alt="Mitch Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks on following a 5-1 loss against the St. Louis Blues at Scotiabank Arena on October 24, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada." class="wp-image-405403" srcset="https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/26152621/Mitch-Marner-16-of-the-Toronto-Maple-Leafs-looks-on-following-a-5-1-loss-against-the-St.-Louis-Blue-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/26152621/Mitch-Marner-16-of-the-Toronto-Maple-Leafs-looks-on-following-a-5-1-loss-against-the-St.-Louis-Blue-300x169.jpg 300w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/26152621/Mitch-Marner-16-of-the-Toronto-Maple-Leafs-looks-on-following-a-5-1-loss-against-the-St.-Louis-Blue-768x432.jpg 768w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/26152621/Mitch-Marner-16-of-the-Toronto-Maple-Leafs-looks-on-following-a-5-1-loss-against-the-St.-Louis-Blue-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/26152621/Mitch-Marner-16-of-the-Toronto-Maple-Leafs-looks-on-following-a-5-1-loss-against-the-St.-Louis-Blue-740x416.jpg 740w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/26152621/Mitch-Marner-16-of-the-Toronto-Maple-Leafs-looks-on-following-a-5-1-loss-against-the-St.-Louis-Blue-490x275.jpg 490w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/26152621/Mitch-Marner-16-of-the-Toronto-Maple-Leafs-looks-on-following-a-5-1-loss-against-the-St.-Louis-Blue-250x140.jpg 250w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/26152621/Mitch-Marner-16-of-the-Toronto-Maple-Leafs-looks-on-following-a-5-1-loss-against-the-St.-Louis-Blue.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure><figcaption>Mitch Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks on following a 5-1 loss against the St. Louis Blues at Scotiabank Arena on October 24, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. </figcaption></figure>



Both Cowan and Marner have followed similar early career paths. The two players stood out with the London Knights in the OHL. There, Cowan was named MVP of both the regular season and the playoffs, mirroring Marner’s accomplishments during his junior days.


 

 

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The two players share several key traits: both are right-handed wingers known for their creativity, defensive responsibility, and vision on the ice. These similarities suggest Cowan could be a strong fit alongside Auston Matthews on the Maple Leafs’ top line.

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