The Pittsburgh Penguins should keep an eye on the Toronto Maple Leafs and one of their superstar forwards.

PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Penguins have missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second consecutive year, but a rebuild doesn’t appear in the cards. In his second summer as Penguins president and general manager, Kyle Dubas plans on getting younger and finding pieces that can make this team a contender again.

One place Dubas may want to look for help is somewhere he is pretty familiar with. The Toronto Maple Leafs are on the verge of losing in the first round for the seventh time in the last eight seasons. During their Game 4 loss to the Boston Bruins, the Maple Leafs looked utterly defeated, and a key superstar's body language raised many eyebrows.

Star forwards Auston Matthews and William Nylander appeared to be yelling at teammate Mitch Marner, who was later seen slamming his gloves in frustration. Despite the viral clip, Marner went on to score the Maple Leafs only goal in Game 4 on a great individual effort for his first goal of the postseason.

Before Dubas was fired by the Maple Leafs, he wanted to bring change to the team, and trading Marner may have been part of the plans.

The Maple Leafs decided to send Dubas packing and keep essentially the same team around for another go. With another first-round exit likely in the cards in Toronto, change is sure to finally come.

Penguins fans are already looking at Marner as a perfect addition to the team. He’s a young, skilled player who is sure to flirt with 100 points year after year. In 69 games in 2023-24, Marner scored 26 goals and 59 assists for 85 total points.

Marner isn’t a huge goal scorer, maxing out at 35 in a single season, but his playmaking ability makes him a great player. Sticking him on a wing with Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin could keep their scoring ability alive in the final years of their careers.

A trade for Marner would not be easy, as he has a full no-move clause and costs just under $11 million against the salary cap. The money is tough, but Marner only has one year remaining on that contract. If things don’t work out in Pittsburgh, then he can easily walk to free agency.

Marner also has a history with Dubas and other former Maple Leafs, such as Michael Bunting and Noel Acciari. That familiarity goes a long way in getting guys to waive clauses.

There is even an untapped friendship between Marner and Crosby. During the 2023 NHL All-Star Game, the two spent a lot of time together and got along well.

If Dubas is serious about making the Penguins a good team again, he’ll call Toronto the first chance he gets to see what kind of deal might be available.

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