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.
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 MarnerHockey DB Stats
POLL | ||
28 JUILLET | 554 ANSWERS Insider reveals which team will push hardest for Mitch Marner in free agency Will Mitch Marner leave the Toronto Maple Leafs in free agency? | ||
Yes | 306 | 55.2 % |
No | 248 | 44.8 % |
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