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Mitch Marner File: “The CH is thirsting for another guy who can make a difference”
Félix Forget
Mitch Marner File: “The CH is thirsting for another guy who can make a difference”
Credit: Getty Images
Last night, Elliotte Friedman shared some very interesting information on the 32 Thoughts Podcast: looking back on the Canadiens’ trade deadline, which was quite quiet, the insider stated that he “wouldn’t be surprised if the Canadiens had tested the waters for Mikko Rantanen”.

What’s even more interesting is that he noted just before that he expects to see the Canadiens “try to make a big splash this summer”. He believes the team, which seems to be turning the corner (and should add Ivan Demidov to its lineup in the fall), wants to send a strong message.

Of course, this big splash could come through a trade. The team needs a top-6 center, and it may evaluate its options on the trade market this summer.

That being said, the Canadiens will also have a lot of money to spend on the free agent market this summer. Seeing Mikko Rantanen, who was set to become a free agent, sign a long-term deal in Dallas, removes one option… and suddenly, there’s only one top player who’s on track to test the market.

And that player is… Mitch Marner.

Before the start of the season, there was a lot of talk about the trio of big names that could test the market, namely Marner, Rantanen, and Igor Shesterkin. Today, the last two have a long-term deal in their pocket… but not Marner.

And today, in a text for The Athletic, Chris Johnston discussed Marner’s case… and he mentioned this:

The Canadiens, like other teams, are thirsty for another player who can change the game. – Chris Johnston

I take away two things from that sentence:

  • If Mitch Marner reaches full free agency, the Canadiens will be in the running.
  • If Mitch Marner reaches full free agency, he will have so many teams after him that he will have all the leverage in the world.
In fact, there are a few quality players who should become free agents. John Tavares, Nikolaj Ehlers, Sam Bennett, Brock Boeser, Brock Nelson, and others: these are all players who could help teams like the Canadiens improve.

That being said, the only player who is on track to test the market and is a real game-changer is Mitch Marner. His playoff performances have been criticized, but he remains one of the best attackers in the NHL.

He is the seventh-best scorer in the NHL at the time of writing, with 77 points in 61 games. That’s worth its weight in gold.

The question now is what his next contract might look like. If he reaches the free agent market, we can expect him to break the bank because he can easily drive up the bidding.

Forget the $96 million over eight years that Rantanen got: it will be a bigger contract than that for Marner if he wants it. If he signs in Montreal, he will make a lot more money than Nick Suzuki.

Let’s remember, however, that only the Maple Leafs will be in a position to offer him an eighth year of contract. Seeing him refuse a trade to the Hurricanes for Mikko Rantanen suggests that he would like to stay in Toronto, and there’s a world in which he decides to agree to a long-term deal with the Leafs.

But if the attacker were to test the market, he would undoubtedly be the most sought-after player. And if Kent Hughes wants to give a monster contract to a player this summer to use his payroll while the salary cap is about to explode in the coming years, Marner should be his number one target.

Is the Ontario native who grew up as a Maple Leafs fan ready to wear the Canadiens’ jersey? The question arises, but I have no doubt that the Canadiens’ interest in Marner is very real.

Marner wouldn’t solve the center problem in town. That being said, having a guy like him on a top-6 that would also bet on Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovský, and Demidov would mean that the Canadiens would be equipped to go far in the attack.

Maybe the Canadiens have another game-changer in mind that they could get through a trade. However, the only one who could be available to them (and to all other teams) on July 1st is Mitch Marner. Let’s see if Kent Hughes will take a chance now.


In brief

– Huge win for the Rocket, which maintains its first place in the AHL standings.

– I think he’s not the only one who finds it weird, hehe.

– Not bad, the kid.

– Ugh.

– Well done.

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