NHL Rumor Mill – April 3, 2024
Should the Maple Leafs trade or re-sign Mitch Marner: Will Brock Faber get a big pay raise from the Wild? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
WILL THE LEAFS TRADE OR RE-SIGN MARNER?
NHL.COM: A reader asked Dan Rosen if the Toronto Maple Leafs should part ways with Mitch Marner if they fail to reach the Eastern Conference Final this year.
The 26-year-old winger has a year left on his contract. Teammates Auston Matthews and William Nylander have already signed long-term extensions with the Leafs.
Rosen believes the Leafs must re-sign Marner because he’s too valuable. Along with his point production, he plays big minutes, handles tough matchups, and plays on the power play and the penalty kill. “He’s a Selke Trophy player,” wrote Rosen.
The Leafs won’t win a Marner trade unless they get back an elite No. 1 defenseman in his prime of the same age.
Rosen points out the salary cap will likely be north of $90 million when Marner’s new contract begins in 2025-26. By that point, John Tavares’ contract comes off their books. He believes the Leafs should sign Marner to a long-term contract extension before next season and project their cap out from there, assuming that Marner, Matthews and Nylander could account for $38 million of their payroll for ’25-’26.
Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marner becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of his current contract. Rosen is projecting that the annual average value of Marner’s next deal will be the same as Matthews’ $13.25 million. He might get a tad less than that but it will be a raise over his current $10.9 million.
I’ll be surprised if the Leafs don’t re-sign Marner this summer. They’ll want to avoid his contract status becoming an unnecessary distraction next season. As Rosen observed, he’s their “do-everything” forward. His overall contributions at times go unappreciated by some denizens of Leafs Nation.
The only question is how long that deal might be. He could take a page from Matthews’ book and ink a four-year deal that gives him another shot at free agency in his early 30s when he’ll still be in his playing prime.
What do you think, Leafs fans? Is Marner too valuable to trade away? Is he worth as much as Matthews? Let us know in the comments below.
BROCK FABER COULD GET A BIG RAISE FROM THE WILD
THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo and Shayna Goldman believe Brock Faber could get the richest contract extension in Minnesota Wild history.
The 21-year-old defenseman is in the second year of his three-year entry-level contract. His performance this season could earn him the Calder Memorial Trophy as this season’s top NHL rookie.
Some observers compare Faber to Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who has an eight-year deal worth an average annual value of $9.5 million. The Dallas Stars’ Miro Heiskanen is earning $8.45 million annually for eight years.
A contract for Faber exceeding $9 million annually might make some wild fans nervous but the NHL is trending toward bigger second contracts for rising young talent.
Russo and Goldman point to the Wild signing Matt Boldy to a seven-year, $49 million deal. They also noted that inking Faber to a bridge deal could mean a more expensive third contract.
When Faber’s next contract kicks in the salary cap could reach $92 million. By then, the Wild’s $14.7 million in dead cap space from buying out Zach Parise and Ryan Suter will drop to just $1.66 million annually to 2029.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Faber has done a remarkable job filling the role of No.1 defenseman for the Wild during his rookie season. He’s earned a significant raise, especially if he wins the Calder Trophy.
Faber will be a restricted free agent next summer and lacks arbitration rights. Wild general manager Bill Guerin doesn’t have to sign him this summer. He can see how the young blueliner performs during his sophomore campaign before getting down to serious discussions.
Guerin could be reluctant to invest in a big raise for Faber only to risk seeing him struggle to meet expectations. On the other hand, the cost of re-signing Faber will rise if the young blueliner exceeds this season’s performance.
I think Guerin will sign Faber this summer to an eight-year extension worth $9.5 million annually.
Too much? Not enough? Should Guerin sign Faber this summer or wait until next year? Let me know what you think in the comment section.
Marner has a NMC he controls the narrative if he wants to be moved and where he wants to go if he is moved.
Marner is a Toronto area boy, with family and friends close by, he is mostly likely staying in Toronto.
One of Blakes many blunders as GM. Trading Faber for Fiala.
Hindsight is 20/20, Les. Blake included Faber in the deal for Fiala because the Kings needed scoring and they were deep on defense at the time. Fiala’s held up his end of the bargain. He was second among Kings scorers last season and is jockeying with Kopitar for the scoring lead this season.
Trade him this summer we need a number one stud defence man and a true starting goalie …
The Leaf’s won’t win anything unless they do !! My opinion folks
Impossible to get both for Marner and everyone is looking for a number one goalie..better to develop one or buy one in free agency
Marner stays, $12M+ x whatever he wants.
The real question is if they could get Tavares to waive and go to somewhere else?????
Trade him in a package retaining salary with a sweetener for a RD??
JT (retain $2M) +’26 1st, Noah Gregor for someone like Seth Jones??????
Very iffy that JT would waive, but McDonough waived after being pressured.
Tavares has stated more than once that he’s finishing his contract with the Leafs. He’s not going anywhere until July 2025.
Re; MM & JT
Marner is from Toronto & his family and wife are from there …
8 X $11.5M same as Willie Nylander👍
John Tavares,
will be 35 when he is a UFA, a 2 year deal takes him to 37
A 1 Or 2 year deal at $4 to $ 5.M TOP’S….
any more? Then they are wasting money on forwards he is slowing down and they need to spend money on there d to win…….❓
Typical that not one Leafs fan commented on Marner, nor will I. I do find it crazy thinking of giving a 21 yr old defenseman $9+M on his second contract. I do agree that if, that’s a big if, he is a special talent, you sign him asap for long term. Defensemen are hard to gauge, young and not even close to their prime is even more difficult. I guess if the trajectory of the player is trending upwards, say like when Nylander who in his first three seasons was a consistent 60pt player right out of the gate for a whopping $6.9M per – for context, as good as Montreal’s Suzuki is, he’s only hit over 60pts this year – you have little choice than to lock him up long term and for whatever the market demands.
Its a huge risk anyway you cut it but really good players, the type that help you win, are hard to come by and in my opinion, better to have than not.
Probably never happen but I see a potential trade partner with the Buffalo sabres. Buffalo has dahlin, powers and byram. I would trade marner for power or dahlin straight up.
Bufffalo needs better defense and marner provides that to the forward group and Toronto needs a true #1 D.
I’ll have what Jeff is having. There is zero, and I mean zero chance buffalo is trading dahlin for the playoff Houdini marner
If Buffalo needs better Defense,then why are you trading Dahlin,Power,or Byram!I think they should trade fora goalie before anything else!
SR,
I also though that till the last 20 games they have played, i think i watched 5 of them
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has played Great
with very god numbers Games 49, 2.57 DA, & A 0.910 SV%…👌
Solid Young d core, 2 good young Goaltenders,
22 yr old Devon Levi is a 1 or 2 years away from being the back up in Buffalo
They could pick @ #9, #10, or #11….. I think they will go for a Centre with there pick,❓
Thay may even trade up 2-4 spots to get what they want at Centre if its avalable
They have 5 very good young wingers 18 to 23 yr old
I wouldnt give him a penny more cap percentage wise more than Nylander. I dont care, wont convince me otherwise. He isnt a playoff performer- you can dazzle all you want during the season – he is a ghost in the playoffs. His game isnt conducive, he is too small and cant cycle the puck. Just facts. and please dont quote playoff secondary assists, bc if you watch the games outside of one against Tampa- he is a non factor. Overblown that he kills penalties- so does David Kampf.
at 11.5 sure- at 13 plus- take a hike…He is an excellent player but he just doesnt bring enough to the table to warrant it (for this team) they have Nylander and Matthews already who arent overly physical
If you watched Matthews without Marner, and please dont misunderstand, I am not saying he is better without him, but he is a different player without Marner and just as effective, imo. He grinds more with Domi and Bertuzzi then he ever did with Marner.
There is no trade to make unless its a sign and trade where he gets an 8 yeear deal bc he has a full ntc.
Agree on Marner, really good player, but he isnt the one to show up at 2-2 5th period
I dont want to piss off Oiler fans…but Leafs would be fools to lock up Marner on July 1st. Let the year play out- just like they were going too with Nylander. Its not like Marner would take less- he never has. BUT how can you committ to Marner not knowing Mcdavids status…if Draisatl doesnt sign this summer- Mcdavids future becomes a lot more grey…
Given how young D are great and not so great, I would be careful about Faber. Look at Powers, great last year, gor resigned and has been pretty average at best this season
Teams need to leverage the lack of leverage of RFAs and grind out some bargain years rather than handing out Set For Life contracts to guys who haven’t accomplished anything yet. Some GMs never learn though.
Detroit will lock up Seider, 8 x $8-8.75M. Unless he only wants to go 4-5yrs…………
Johnny Z do you think Seider will take a similar deal the Sabres gave to Power?
The maximum I would want to see the Leafs pay Marner would be $12.5.
He gouged the Leafs on his last contract at $10.9 million.
If he attempts to back the Leafs into a corner again on his next contract then he doesn’t really want to remain in Toronto or be a Leaf For Life like he claims.