What Would It Take For Columbus To Land Mitch Marner?
The talk of the NHL is how Toronto got put out in the first round again. They reacted by firing head coach Sheldon Keefe, which was probably warranted. But now people around the league want to know what the Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving is going to do about the roster.
The two names that always get brought up with CBJ fans are William Nylander and Mitch Marner. Nylander just signed a contract that leaves him in Toronto until the end of 2032, so let's cross him off the list. That means Mitch Marner is the one to speculate on since he only has one year left on his current deal.
Sportsnet released an article a few days ago about trade destinations for Marner, and Columbus was one of them. Why Columbus and what would it take to get him?
The article says that to get Marner, the CBJ will need to part with a very popular piece and a pick. That piece is forward Kent Johnson and the pick is the #4 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Let's not forget that Marner only has one year left on his current deal at $10.9 million AAV. So any trade should be a sign-and-trade. A sign-and-trade would be the only way to get this done. Another issue is that Marner is going to want a pay raise as well. He's still in the prime of his career at 27 years of age and is seeming to get better as the years go on. Would the Jackets dare pay him $11 million+ AAV?
The piece from Sportsnet also mentions another reason why the Blue Jackets might try to pull this off. If they can land Mark Hunter as the new General Manager, might that sway Marner to agree to a sign-and-trade? Marner played in London for the Knights for three seasons before being drafted in 2015, so they have a history together. Hunter left London to join the Toronto front office in 2015 and then got Marner in the draft.
If we're being honest, I think most Blue Jacket fans would do this trade. Marner is far better than Kent Johnson, and draft picks are always a gamble. In fact, Mitch Marner is far better than Kent Johnson will ever be, again, if we're being honest. So why not try to get Marner?
Would a line of Marner/Fantilli/Gaudreau work? Just the thought of those three playing together is a dream.
The article ends by saying, "Columbus is also not the kind of team that’s going to be scared off by any perceived shortcomings Marner has in the playoffs. The Jackets just want to get to the post-season; how everybody does once they’re in is a tomorrow question."
Be sure to bookmark THN.com/Columbus for all of your Columbus Blue Jackets news and notes.
More From THN Columbus
Join Jason Newland's Columbus Blue Jacket page on Bunches, a new app that connects sports fans. Also, you can watch a new YouTube game show about the Blue Jackets, Around the Fifth Line.