Darren Dreger Proposes Wild Scenario for Maple Leafs with $30M in Cap Space
A shocking scenario outlines a surprise revamping of the Toronto Maple Leafs, one insider breaks down.
As the season turns to February, and moves start to take place ahead of the March 7th NHL trade deadline, teams are working out the business over if they will make signings ahead of time to take players off the trade board.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have still left pending free agents Mitch Marner & John Tavares unsigned, with it appearing a deal isn't coming yet, leaving the two focused on playing hockey.
However, with the recent trade of Mikko Rantanen, a player who is expected to gain a similar contract to Marner, it has since led to questions over what Toronto will do with Marner depending on the asking price.
A new report suggests a major restructuring for the Toronto Maple Leafs that would be a major reworking for the team.
Darren Dreger's Surprise Take On The Toronto Maple Leafs Future
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger on TSN's 'Overdrive' gave one potential plan for the Leafs to solve their contract decisions involving Marner & Tavares.
And so I'm sure that the preference for Brad Treliving would be that Darren Ferris, who represents Marner, would give them a call and say, "hey, why don't we, you know, get together when you get back off the road and let's have a conversation.
"I'd be surprised if it was lower than $13M times eight, and that's Toronto's stomach, so he much more Marner is going to get on the open market, maybe a lot more if he wants to play outside of his hometown and in a market that isn't or with a team that isn't as close to making the Stanley Cup with the Toronto Maple Leafs. - Darren Dreger
Dreger went further in outlining a future for the Toronto Maple Leafs that may or may not involve Mitch Marner.
You know, and I'm sure that Treliving and his group have had those conversations multiple times, but, you know, I'm going to back up a little bit here too.
I think that Treliving and the Maple Leafs have a high level of Respect for what Mitch Marner brings to the team on a nightly basis, like everyone else, they will want and they would expect that the playoff numbers are going to change this year and maybe that needs to be a must.
I think if Mitch Marner came in and said "here's my hard number" and it's $13.25M, whatever that number is, times eight, Toronto might sign it because that's how much they value the kid.
If they don't engage now between now and March 7th or the playoffs, this conversation about Mikko Rantanen if he hasn't extended, Sam Bennett, Tavares, its going to get more loud, and more loud, and that's just going to make things more uncomfortable for Marner and the group. - Darren Dreger
With Mitch Marner still unsigned, more and more does the conversation turn to the Toronto Maple Leafs re-signing Marner, and closer to the question if the Leafs are planning to move on with new big-money players, and a new identity.
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