Insider reveals which team will push hardest for Mitch Marner in free agency

PUBLICATION

Tom Banks
July 28, 2024 (10:04)

SHARE THIS STORY

Mitch Marner is set to hit free agency in the summer of 2025, and now it appears there is one team gearing up to make him an offer he can't refuse.

The Mitch Marner saga has been an intriguing one for the Maple Leafs this off-season, and with the 2024/25 regular season approaching, the chance that he is traded before the season becomes smaller by the day. Marner is a free agent in the summer of 2025, and according to recent reports, if it gets that far, he is more likely to move on from the team than re-sign, making him the biggest name in a loaded free agent class.

If things do get far, according to insider Mark Lazarus, there's one team gearing up to make him a huge offer, and that team is the up-and-coming Chicago Blackhawks.

"Do you expect the Hawks to be more aggressive in free agency next year, maybe even trading away important picks for players?" Lazerus was asked.

"The fact that Davidson was ready to trade next year's unprotected top pick (almost certainly a top-10 pick) to Columbus for the ability to draft Demidov is as clear a sign as any that the Blackhawks are ready to stop living years in the future. Could they deal away future picks for players? It's possible, but unlikely. Trades like that are rare, and it's not as if they'll be in the rental market at the trade deadline. But perhaps they look for this generation's Brian Campbell and/or Marian Hossa next summer � the player who signals to both the team and its fans that it's time to start taking the Blackhawks seriously again.

With Mitch Marner, Brock Boeser, Nikolaj Ehlers, John Tavares, Shea Theodore and Aaron Ekblad among the players slated for unrestricted free agency next summer, just as players such as Oliver Moore and Levshunov are ready to break into the NHL for good, things could get interesting very quickly," wrote Lazerus in response.

This report comes as no surprise, as Chicago were one of the first teams linked to Marner when the trade rumours began, and with elite young talents in Connor Bedard and Artyom Levshunov, they are ready to start taking the next step towards contending.

Marner will demand a huge salary on his next deal, and given the amount of cap space the Blackhawks have, it makes complete sense, and with the team adding the likes of Tyler Bertuzzi, Alec Martinez and Teuvo Teravainen in free agency, they're building the core pieces of a playoff team.

There's still plenty of variables before free agency officially begins in 2025, but as of this point, it appears Chicago are ready to make a big splash.

Source: Mitch Marner
Hockey DB Stats