The Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves in a tough situation. Their star forward Mitch Marner appears to be on the way out, after being very non-committal about returning to the organization following yet another early playoff exit.
Which begs the question—where exactly will he land? He is projected to earn a contract in the $13 million range, which makes it a bit harder for the higher-end teams to land him at that price. However, teams like the San Jose Sharks could be a potential fit based on cap space, young core, and overall potential.
So now the question is: are the Sharks a potential landing spot for Maple Leafs' Marner?
The short answer is yes. At this point, any team could be a landing spot for Marner. But will he really be interested in playing with the Sharks, regardless of them still being in a rebuild?
Well, that’s where it gets a bit more complex.
He would be leaving one of the best teams in the NHL for a team that has been rebuilding over the last few seasons. But there’s an argument to be made that bringing in a star forward like Marner—alongside Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini—would make them a much better team. Also, considering the amount of cap space the Sharks have and the fact that they own the second overall pick, it may make San Jose a very good landing spot for a player like Marner.
Yes, there’s a chance he misses the playoffs next year—but is that the price he has to pay for joining a team with the potential to dominate the league for years to come?
I'd think so. He would be joining the Sharks at a similar point to when John Tavares joined the Maple Leafs and became a leader both on and off the ice.
Going into this summer, the Sharks have a projected $43 million in cap space according to PuckPedia. With no major contract decisions to worry about, they could realistically spend $13–14 million on Marner and still have $29–30 million left to add other players to the roster.
If GM Mike Grier is strategic with how he uses that space, there’s a scenario where the Sharks’ rebuild is fast-tracked based on the available free agents—and they could even compete for a Wild Card spot as soon as next season.
While some fans and even people in the hockey world might not agree, the idea of the Sharks landing Marner in free agency doesn’t seem as far-fetched as it did even a few months ago.
Marner could view the Sharks as a legitimate option. And if Grier and his management group believe there’s a possibility, they should utilize Jumbo Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau as recruiters to help convince him to sign in San Jose. It would make sense, given their relationship with Marner.
If they can convince Marner to sign with the Sharks, it’ll attract other free agents in the coming years, especially with the young core already in place. It’s a win-win for San Jose to inquire when the market opens. What’s the worst that happens? He says no. Then you stick to your current plan—but if he says yes, you pivot to a fast-tracked rebuild.
