Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – October 20, 2024
Check out the latest on Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen, Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup,
TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos recently looked at the choices facing the Toronto Maple Leafs with Mitch Marner. The 27-year-old right winger will become an unrestricted free agent next July unless he and the Leafs agree to a new contract.
Kypreos believes they have two clear choices. They can find the money to sign Marner to a long-term extension or use him as though he’s a playoff rental player for the 2025 postseason before letting him depart as a free agent on July 1.
If the Leafs choose the latter option, Kypreos believes they should have a backup plan to replace Marner next summer. Wingers like Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen, Florida’s Sam Bennett or Boston’s Brad Marchand could be available.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those wingers probably won’t be available to the Leafs on July 1, leaving them to find lesser-talent, albeit more affordable replacements. Rantanen could cost as much as Marner to sign. The Panthers will likely keep Bennett and Marchand is a Bruin for life just like Patrice Bergeron was.
Speaking of Rantanen, Kypreos reports he and the Avalanche aren’t close to a contract extension. Avs management hopes to get a clearer picture of captain Gabriel Landeskog’s health and future before deciding how much to spend on retaining Rantanen.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nathan MacKinnon’s $12.6 million average annual value is believed to be the Avalanche’s self-imposed cap on individual salaries. If so, Rantanen must accept less than that if he wants to stay in Colorado.
And speaking of Marchand, Kypreos wonders if Bruins president Cam Neely has 25 or 30 million reasons to keep his captain in Boston.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: For those of you who missed it, Neely alluded to Jeremy Swayman having 64 million reasons to be playing for the Bruins during contract negotiations earlier this month. Swayman eventually signed for $66 million.
I don’t know where Kypreos is getting that number for Marchand. Perhaps he’s being facetious.
The Bruins got a bargain with Marchand’s contract ($6.125 million annually since 2017-18). However, he turns 37 in May. His days of signing lucrative long-term contracts are over.
Depending on Marchand’s performance, he could follow Bergeron’s example and sign a one-year, bonus-laden deal that could take him up to $6 million for 2025-26. Otherwise, he could sign a two-year deal worth around $5.5 million annually.
FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting contract talks between the Panthers and Sam Bennett have started. However, there is nothing imminent.
Bennett, 29, is in the final season of a four-year contract with an annual value of $4.425 million.
Friedman also noted the Panthers re-signed Carter Verhaeghe to an eight-year extension earlier this month. He believed Bennett would draw plenty of interest if he hit the open market on July 1.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bennett’s gritty two-way style and ability to play center or either wing has earned him a reputation as a reliable and versatile playoff performer. He’s in line for a significant raise and could seek something similar to Verhaeghe’s $7 million AAV.
I sincerely doubt Kypreos could spell facetious.
I have said it before and I still believe Bennett would get overpaid and be loved by the Leaf faithful if he becames a UFA.
Unless they find a way to get Brady out of Ottawa which is unlikely.
It does seem like Bennett will re-up for less cash in Florida from the reports like above. Panthers window is far from closed with all the core under 30
ds
I couldn’t agree more, as Bennett and your Leafs view
Type of player , Toronto so desperately needs
Tavares , No
Marner , No
Plan B
Rantanen can sign in Toronto
Marner can sign on in Colorado
McKinnon speaks well of Marner , they train together
Great stuff !
Bon Voyage to Marner
ds, heading into next season, with the cap projected to rise to $92.5 mil, Florida is committed to 10F, 4D and 2G at a total cap hit of $73,275,000. That will leave them with $19, 225,000 with which to sign 7.
They have 4 pending UFAs
Bennett – coming off $4,425,000 per
Ekblad – coming off $7,500,000 per
Nosek – coming off $775,000 per
Schmidt – coming off $800,000 per
And 4 pending RFAs
Samoskevich – coming off $925,000 per
Jesper Boqvist – coming of $775,000 per
Adam Boqvist – coming off $775,000 per
With the exceptions of Bennett and Ekblad, and barring some unforeseen major breakout season, none of the others are looking at significant increases, assuming they even keep Nosek and Schmidt. Their total expiring cap hit of $4,050,000 will likely come in somewhere around $5.2 mil (including replacements if they don’t re-up Nosek and Schmidt), leaving around $14 mil to re-up Bennett and Ekblad.
That would make it tight, but they could get around that by dealing someone like G Spencer Knight ($4.5 mil per) or one of their other mid-range Fs. Bottom line, I don’t see either Bennett or Ekblad hitting the UFA market.
As for Brady Tkachuk, he’s the team captain/leader and under contract at $8,205,714 through to 2028. Curious as to why would you bring up his name, and what could the Leafs possibly offer Ottawa that would make such a trade enticing?
@George
Nice breakdown. and Bennett would need 1million +more per season from Toronto to take home the same.
Problem in Florida is the D is not deep. They will need to replenish
Re:Brady. he is the player Toronto fans would worship. And he might soon want out if they cant start winning. thats my opinion…there are no rumblings of this.
Leaf faithful view Wendel higher than Mats forever…. heck Auston for Brady…. ;-0 crazy sure
Also Florida has few high level prospects coming in, which is another incentive for them to resign guys like Bennett and Ekblad. The only way I see Bennett in Toronto is that he wants to be there or Toronto overpays to get him
If Knight is good, trade Bob (retain $4M) and get a player back to plug that hole or another if another goalie is on the way.
George, I can’t see Florida moving Knight. They’ve stuck with him through his off ice issues. Both he and Bobrovsky have 1 year left on their deals. Bob will be 37 next year. Curious what happens with Ekblad. Top pair righty with size will have some suitors.
On sober second thought, you’re probably right Slick62. It’s not like they have anything else in their system even remotely ready to step into the NHL as a starting goalie.
With 2 seasons to go at $10 mil per, Bobrovsky will turn 38 just before the opening of the final season of his deal. Unless his play severely deteriorates between now and then, what do they do as he approached UFA status at age 39 if he’s still performing well? Try and re-sign him at a significantly lower amount short-term? Let him walk?
Everyone on the Panthers are getting overpaid now, that’s the cost after winning the cup. That’ll be their eventual downfall, happened to the Hawks when Toews and Kane each took 10 mil
That certainly has been the pattern. Tampa and Vegas too, although, through some astute moves, both keep hanging around.
George O you mean those astute moves were using LTIR!
Gotta trade Bob! Even if you retain 1/2 that is $5M more in cap to get another goalie or another need.
The Senators are unequivocally not trading Brady, and definitely not to the Leafs, EVER. That would amount to career suicide for Staios and company, not even for Austin Mathews!
But what if they miss the playoffs the next two seasons? and matthew wins another….
Ds,
Leafs still need a goaltender…..❓
You got an injury prone Woll, and a good back up❓
@williew
how many goalies can they try ?
Boesser and Ehlers are Wingers in thr market inn2025 along with others.
At center it’s just Bennett and gourde. I think Bennett wants to test the market.