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“I think the Canadiens will express interest in Mitch Marner.”
Félix Forget
“I think the Canadiens will express interest in Mitch Marner.”
Credit: Getty Images
There’s now less than a month to go before the NHL free agent market opens. And of course, the big name we’ll be keeping an eye on is Mitch Marner.

The feeling right now is that Marner won’t be back in Toronto. Things have really gone south for him this season, and he’s probably tired of constantly being labelled the scapegoat for the Leafs ‘ playoff failures.

After all, he’s got his share of the blame… but he’s not the only culprit either.

We get the impression that Marner will probably want to go south of the border to pursue his career, but we know he’ll be courted from all four corners of the league. And speaking on The Sheet (Jeff Marek’s podcast), David Pagnotta had this to say:

I think the Canadiens will express interest [in Mitch Marner]. – David Pagnotta

Pagnotta, who also mentions the Flames as a team likely to express interest, notes, however, that he doesn’t necessarily get that sense that it’s an environment Marner would like to go to. Because yes, two things can be true: the Canadiens may have interest in a player, but it doesn’t have to be reciprocated.

In the event that the Habs really do have a lot of interest in Marner, you have to wonder whether the club will be able to find ways to motivate the player to sign in town. Obviously, the pressure of the Montreal market is a factor that could cool Marner down… but the club can count on other strengths.

Its promising young core is likely to be competitive for years to come, and the club has a great vision in place: if Marner wants to play with a competitive team and likes the way the Habs are building their core, maybe Kent Hughes could hit the nail on the head.

Obviously, the chances are slim. That said, this isn’t a scenario in which the Habs aren’t even interested in signing Marner: clearly, they’d like to add Marner to their group.

They’re clearly not the only team in that position, but if Marner is open to signing in Montreal, the Habs will want to be at the negotiating table.


In Overtime

– Corey Perry doesn’t want to retire this summer.

– Indeed.

– He would probably be the player most in demand.

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