Ever since the Toronto Maple Leafs endured yet another disappointing playoff exit in The 6ix, many have called for the team to trade superstar forward Mitch Marner.
The Maple Leafs were eliminated in the first round of the postseason by the heated rival Boston Bruins in Game 7, with David Pastrnak scoring the series winner in overtime. Mitch Marner was heavily criticized for another lackluster outing in the playoffs, recording just one goal and two assists in seven games.
General manager Brad Treliving has no choice but to trade one of the “core four” players this summer. Auston Matthews and William Nylander are going nowhere, so Treliving needs to move out either Marner or captain John Tavares.
During his appearance on “The Leafs Nation” podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that some sources expect the Vegas Golden Knights to make a play for Marner. Friedman added that some folks have proposed a trade blockbuster trade with Toronto receiving star defenseman Shea Theodore and goaltender Logan Thompson in return:
“One of the things with Marner, is that a lot of people suspect that Vegas will be around him, because Vegas is smart…they’re around any good player…I got people hypothesizing Shea Theodore and Logan Thompson deals to me”
Mitch Marner is only under contract for one more season, so the Maple Leafs would ideally resolve the matter before the start of 2024-25 by offering either a contract extension or completing a trade.
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The blue line has been Toronto’s weak link for years, so swapping out Marner for Theodore (a top-four blueliner) and a starting-caliber goalie like Thompson would be a nice piece of work by Treliving.
Theodore has posted 40-plus points in five consecutive seasons, including a career-high 52 during the 2021-22 campaign. The 28-year-old Theodore won a Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights last year.
Mitch Marner & Maple Leafs Would Benefit From A Split
Marner has had more than enough chances now to lead the Maple Leafs on a deep playoff run, but one postseason series victory in eight years of the Matthews era isn’t going to cut it.
Another lackluster playoff outing by Marner simply has to mark the end of his tenure in Toronto, who could acquire multiple valuable assets in return. If Vegas were to offer anything close to what Friedman suggested, the Maple Leafs would be wise to take it.
