Seeing what the price would be to acquire Mitch Marner as the Nashville Predators GM in NHL 24
It's been a whirlwind since the Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated in Game 7 by the Boston Bruins in the first round of the NHL Playoffs. They fired Head Coach Sheldon Keefe and hired Craig Berube as his replacement. But that alone won't stop a good chunk of Leafs Nation from demanding more changes.
That is where the Mitch Marner discourse starts. Marner has been labeled as the one who needs to go, despite having the most playoff points amongst Toronto players since 2017. Although his production at first glance doesn't look bad, he has struggled to produce and be an impact player in Games 5-7 in a series, and with a new contract in the woodworks after the 2024-25 season, the Maple Leafs are expected to explore the trade market for the Thornhill, Ontario native.
Marner does have a full no-move clause in his contract which he will have to waive and accept the destination of any potential trade proposal. That will impact the type of return the Maple Leafs will get for the all-star right winger.
The Nashville Predators are one of the favourites to acquire Marner's services considering their need to add more talent and skill to their lineup. They completed a trade on Tuesday that sent veteran defenceman Ryan McDonagh and his $6.75 million dollar AAV back to Tampa Bay, giving Nashville a projected cap space of $26 million heading into the off-season.
Nashville's players who require a new contract for the 2024-25 season aren't expected to break the bank. The only player who will need a new contract soon and is expected to get a hefty pay raise is their No. 1 goaltender, Juuse Saros. I'm sure the Maple Leafs would have no issues giving him a pretty payday as they desperately need a starting netminder.
All these trade speculation talks surrounding Marner allowed us to load up NHL 24, hop into Franchise Mode, and see how much it would cost to acquire him as the acting GM for Nashville.
Let me tell you, the outcome wasn't what I expected so make sure you stay tuned to the end of the video to see what the Preds had to give up to acquire Mitch Marner.