The Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes discussed a potential deal prior to the trade deadline that involved forwards Mitch Marner and Mikko Rantanen, TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston wrote for The Athletic on Saturday.
Both Marner and Rantanen were set to become unrestricted free agents this summer and due for big contracts.
The Maple Leafs made it clear to Marner that their preference is to re-sign the 6-foot winger to a long-term extension, but presented the option of moving him to Carolina after the Hurricanes inquired about him as a possible return for Rantanen.
Marner, who holds a full no-movement clause, made his desire known that he would like to stay in Toronto and will make a decision about his future after the 2024-25 campaign, forcing the two teams to move onto other options in their discussions.
Johnston also reports that Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies and other future assets were discussed between the two clubs before the Hurricanes elected to trade Rantanen to the Dallas Stars.
The Hurricanes received centre Logan Stankoven, two first-round draft picks, and two third-round draft picks in exchange for the star winger on Friday. Rantanen went on to sign an eight-year, $96 million extension with the Stars.
Marner, 27, has been one of the Maple Leafs central offensive forces this season, leading the team with 19 goals and 77 points in 61 games.
The Thornhill, Ont., native sits fifth all-time in scoring in Maple Leaf history with 213 goals and 716 points in 637 games.
He has helped the Maple Leafs to the playoffs every year since his arrival in the NHL during the 2016-17 season, but the team has only one playoff series victory during that time.
Marner is on the final season of a six-year, $65.41 million contract that carries an annual cap hit of $10.9 million.
The Maple Leafs sit in second place in the Atlantic Division entering Saturday's action with a 38-21-3 record and are two points behind the Florida Panthers for top spot with 20 games remaining in the regular season.
Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music, Soaps
http://almosthuman99.com
Babe Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/babes/babeofthemonth.html
Hunk Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/hunks/hunkofthemonth.html
No comments:
Post a Comment