Mitch Marner's time with the Toronto Maple Leafs has come to an end. Andy Strickland [https://x.com/andystrickland/status/1933596612183392744]confirmed reports that the pending unrestricted free agent will be testing the market on July 1. This doesn’t come as a shock to anyone, as the writing’s been on the wall for a while. It was reported that the Leafs had a deal in place with the Carolina Hurricanes to acquire Mikko Rantanen at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, but Marner was not willing to waive his no-trade clause to head to Raleigh. Once that news came out, an already rampant fan base became even more agitated at their star player. Then, we had this. Then, we got his end-of-the-season remarks, courtesy of my THN colleague David Alter [https://x.com/dalter]. “I haven’t thought about anything. Just thought about coming here every day and trying to put my best foot forward, help this team win hockey games, and try to win that ultimate goal. Fell short,” Marner said. “It’s meant everything. Took a risky pick on a small kid from Toronto, and I’ve been forever grateful to be able to wear this Maple Leaf and be a part of some of the great legends here and be able to wear this jersey. So, I’ve never taken a day for granted, and I always loved it.” The 28-year-old, who was on an expiring $10.93 million, could get a contract valued north of $14 million annually. There's no question that every team, including the New York Islanders [http://thn.com/isles], would love to add an elite talent like Marner. However, given his projected salary cap hit, not many teams will be able to offer deals as high. The Islanders, who still have to pay pending restricted free agent defensemen Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov, only have $20 million in available cap space. If we take the high marks on both players -- Dobson gets $9.15 million, and Romanov gets $6 million -- that would leave the Islanders with only $5 million. If general manager Mathieu Darche is serious about joining the Marner sweepstakes — I'm not sure that's viable — he will need to move Jean-Gabriel Pageau. There's no question that landing Marner would change everything for the Islanders going forward, but it's also fair to say that the Islanders aren't just one player away from being a Stanley Cup contender. And at that potential salary cap hit, the Islanders will not be able to address other holes in thier lineup. But, hey, that would be a great start for Darche on Long Island if he could convince a star of Marner's caliber to choose Long Island. Because if Marer signed on Long Island, he wouldn't be chasing the money. It could set the stage for more free agents to come... Some laugh at the fact that Matt Martin being close buds with Marner from his time in Toronto makes the Islanders a front-runner. But, what I will say is if Marner did land on Long Island, Martin would have likely played a huge part. I believe Mathew Barzal is also close to Marner. Do you remember that time when Barzal jokingly held onto Marner by the bench a few years ago, earning himself a fine? Imagine a top line of Mitch Marner-Bo Horvat-Mathew Barzal? Personally, I don't think Marner would play on a line with Barzal, as both need to possess the puck to be effective. But let's get back to reality. The Islanders aren't Stanley Cup contenders yet, and given Marner's inability to get the job done in Toronto, there's no question that he wants to win. Then again, the Islanders weren’t Cup contenders when they went to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals. But I digress. One would have to think that Marner either wants to join an elite team, like the Vegas Golden Knights or the Florida Panthers -- imagine him in Florida, sheesh -- or join an up-and-coming team that has a tremendous amount of young talent like the Anaheim Ducks and a Jose Sharks, to name a few. The Islanders are kinda caught in the mushy middle -- stealing a line from The Atheltic's Arthur Staple -- which certainly makes things difficult when it comes to having free agency success. It's been clear since he was hired that Darche is not rushing anything with this team and seems to be leaning toward evaluating the roster before making any significant changes. Marner's a pipeline dream for now. Had he hit free agency in a few years, maybe the Islanders would have become more of an attraction with Matthew Schaefer, Cole Eiserman, Cal Ritchie, and Danny Nelson, along with Barzal, Horvat, and Ilya Sorokin. We'll dive in next week on who are more likely options for the Islanders this summer if they, in fact, do have their eyes on making additions in free agency. Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwpuDfCA?ceid=CA:en&oc=3] to never miss a story. Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
