With a sense that change may be on the horizon, could that mean a massive shakeup to the Core Four?
With a sense that change may be on the horizon, could that mean a massive shakeup to the Core Four?
Mitch Marner holds all the cards heading into the final year of his contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Although the star forward has a full no-move clause, other NHL clubs have already reached out to the Maple Leafs about the availability of the star, according to Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos.
"There are already multiple NHL teams that have reached out and shown a keen interest in a three-time all-star player who closes in on 100 points every season," Kypreos wrote in his Toronto Star column. "And that’s with the knowledge that his next contract could land him as much as $100 million."
Marner is in the final year of his existing contract which carries an average annual value of $10.903 million. It's believed the star player will seek a contract higher in value than the eight-year, $92 million contract extension teammate William Nylander signed this season.
With 194 goals and 445 assists in 576 games, there's no question that Marner is a talented player. His playoff performance, however, hasn't been as dazzling. He recorded just one goal and two assists in the club's seven-game series loss to the Boston Bruins that wrapped up last week. And with change already taking place after head coach Sheldon Keefe was shown the door on Thursday, could a change to the core be next?
Auston Matthews and William Nylander appear untouchable in this case, given their recent contract extensions. That leaves Marner and Tavares, who are both in the final year of their existing contracts. Both Marner and Tavares have full no-move contracts and would need to waive their right to block a trade to accommodate if any desire remains from the Leafs to move on.
Tavares carries an $11 million cap hit going into this season.
It should be pointed out that Marner himself has not given any indication that he is looking to go anywhere else at this point. The Thornhill, Ontario native has reiterated that he enjoys being with his hometown team.
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