Toronto Maple Leafs Trade Scenario: Mitch Marner for Seth Jones

The Toronto Maple Leafs are coming off of a disappointing loss to Montreal and their fanbase is demanding change.

In a turnaround I sure didn’t see coming, Toronto Maple Leafs superstar (and potential, eventual best two-way player in the NHL) Mitch Marner has become public enemy #1.

But not the good kind of Chuck D Public Enemy, more like the lame kind of Johnny Depp Public Enemy.  Not good, but, understandable.   No goals in 18 games to go along with 45 puck over the glass penalties is a bad look.  For those of us advocating patience, it’s annoying, but again, you will never go broke betting on the capriciousness of sports fans.

Now I’m going to write about the trade in the headline, because I keep hearing people mention it as a solution to the Leafs problems.   Full disclosure: I think it’s a really dumb trade.

Here’s why:

Mitch Marner for Seth Jones

This would be a disaster for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Mitch Marner just turned 24 and Seth Jones is going to turn 27 this year.  Those three years are likely to be Marner’s prime, so that in itself should be enough to declare this trade idea idiotic, but there’s more.

Secondly, Seth Jones gives off huge Dion Phaneuf vibes.  Breaks into the NHL with a good combo of hitting and goal scoring, people say he’s overrated, other people think he’s a first ballot hall of famer, and then he goes to a new team and completely disappoints.

Now Jones never scored 20 as a rookie, nor does he lay out thundering hits, at least not in the style of early Dion.  In fact, the only real part of the comparison that holds is that someone is going to acquire Jones thinking he’s going to be their #1 and he’ll put up the stats of a #4.

As you can see from above @Jfresh data card, Seth Jones has exactly one season, six years ago, where he was elite offensively,  his defense has gotten worse for five straight season.  You can make an easy case that he is the NHL’s most overrated player. 

Jones is huge, he racks up PP points, and he was drafted high.  That doesn’t make him a #1 superstar defenseman.   Marner, on the other hand, appears on track to be one of the NHL’s best two-way players.   As far as the this trade idea goes, it would be like trading a 24 year old Marian Hossa for a 27 year old Dion Phaneuf (ignore their real ages for the purpose of this example).

Can you say worst trade in Franchise History?   Maybe Alex Kerfoot for Seth Jones is more in line with reality.