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Rumor mill: Hurricanes, Hawks and Kings (very) interested in Marner
Marc-Olivier Cook
Rumor mill: Hurricanes, Hawks and Kings (very) interested in Marner
Credit: Getty Images
July 1 is less than a month away.

Do you know what that means?

We’re fast approaching the opening of the free agent market… and this summer, there could be some big changes in the National League.

For example, we know that Mitch Marner’s name is going to be popular all over the NHL.

In fact, it already is.

But even if it’s hard to predict where he’ll be playing in 25-26, some clubs are already showing interest in him.

Chris Johnston(The Chris Johnston Show) talks about the Hurricanes and the Blackhawks… while David Pagnotta(The Sheet Podcast) says the Kings will be aggressive in their efforts to bring Marner to Los Angeles.

All three are interesting options.

In Chicago, Marner would play with one of the league’s best young players in Connor Bedard…

In Carolina, Marner would add to an already excellent group of forwards and perhaps help the club finally advance a little further in the playoffs…

And in Los Angeles, Marner would also be superbly surrounded because the Kings have some very talented players in their line-up.

Will it come down to these three clubs in the end?

Perhaps. But one thing’s for sure: whatever the destination, the team that’s going to get him had better get the cheques out… because it’s going to cost a lot of money.

Let’s talk about Jason Robertson

Jason Robertson is a popular name these days.

And this morning, on BPM Sports, Renaud Lavoie revealed a piece of information that hadn’t yet seen the light of day: the Stars player was almost involved in the Mikko Rantanen transaction, in place of Logan Stankoven.

Jason Robertson in Carolina would have been interesting:

The Stars want to save money on payroll because they don’t have a lot of space (about $5M) available to navigate right now.

And the fact that Robertson is likely to break the bank before too long – his contract runs out at the end of next season – also plays a role in the balance.

But it also seems that the Stars weren’t too happy with Robo’s performance in the last playoffs.

And that’s to be expected, given that the player scored just six points in eleven playoff games.

The best have to be the best for a club to be successful in May and June, and that simply hasn’t been the case with Robertson of late.

And now, what’s happening… is that his days in Dallas really do seem to be numbered.

Where will Drouin play next year?

Jonathan Drouin has been having fun since his arrival in Colorado.

He’s rediscovered his offensive game: in 23-24, he scored 56 points in 79 games.

And in 24-25, he collected 37 points… in “only” 43 games.

But now his contract is up, and he’ll be testing the free agent market this summer. And since the Avalanche have players to sign and the club may not have enough payroll room to keep him, the idea of him leaving via the free agent market is starting to circulate.

In the TVA Sports article above, we read that the New York Post would like to see the Québécois play with the Rangers. And Yahoo Sports has linked him to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

But no matter: Drouin needs to find a place where the pressure isn’t too great.

It worked out well for him in Colorado, precisely because he was able to do his business without too much scrutiny. The pressure of a big market affects his game, as we saw in Montreal… and if he wants to give himself the best possible chance of success, he needs to go somewhere where it’s quiet.

I don’t know how much interest there will be in him throughout the NHL, but Drouin has proven over the past two years that he’s capable of helping a National League club.

It remains to be seen which club he can help next.


In Overtime

– Nice signing for the Canucks.

– Indeed.

– Rocket win or lose tonight?

– Well done.

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