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Elliotte Friedman reveals Leafs may actually not trade Mitch Marner


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Graham Montgomery
May 23, 2024  (8:43)
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Sportsnet reporter and NHL insider Elliotte Friedman discussing Mitch Marner on the Kyper and Bourne show
Photo credit: Sportsnet

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman made a shocking revelation today when he noted that the Toronto Maple Leafs have actually not discussed trading Mitch Marner yet.

This might come as a huge surprise to many Leafs fans. After all, all anyone has talked about when it comes to the Leafs recently has been when and where Mitch Marner will be traded. (Aside from the head coaching change of course) It has seemed like an inevitability though in all seriousness. Perhaps he will still be traded, but based on Friedman's latest report, that seems like far from an inevitability.
"I don't think anything is going to happen until the Leafs and [Marner] sit down and talk and understand what the contract asks and proposals are going to be. Then we'll see where we really are.

If the Marner camp thinks the Leafs come with something outrageous or the Leafs think the Marner camp comes with something outrageous, then all bets are off."
It would make sense for the Leafs to spend a little extra time deciding what they want to do with Marner this summer. A Marner trade would legitimately change the course of the franchise. The question is, do the Leafs want to gamble, and actually try to create a team capable of winning a Stanley Cup, or do they want to play it safe, and stick with the team they know?
People really don't understand how scary the prospect of trading Mitch Marner is. If this move were to happen, it would drastically change the franchise for the worse.
The team the Leafs know clearly is not good enough to win a Stanley cup. Their record for wins in the playoffs is just five. That being said, who knows what can happen with a new head coach in place?
Earlier this week, the rumor mill was really heating up as the Nashville Predators made a trade opening up a lot of cap space. This immediately lead to speculation that the Predators were in on Marner, but Barry Trotz shot down the suggestion as mere rumors.
I asked Barry Trotz if he'd be interested in acquiring Mitch Marner, with now some $25 million in cap room.

His response is pretty hilarious and he shrugged it off as «just rumors.»
At the time, it seemed like Trotz was simply being coy with us. However, based on these new reports, it seems like he may have been earnest after all. Only time will tell though. Whatever the Leafs chose, you won't want to miss it.

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