The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to be heavily involved in just about everything for the next couple of weeks, and that could involve trading the signing rights of Mitch Marner.
With the 2025 NHL Draft just hours away, and then free agency opening up next Tuesday, all 32 NHL teams have a limited window where they are in constant communication with each other. We are already seeing multiple trades go down across the league that could have some severe impact. The Leafs have not been a part of the action quite yet, but they could certainly get involved before Tuesday.
During a pre-Draft media availability on Thursday afternoon, Toronto general manager Brad Treliving was asked about a potential Marner sign-and-trade or simply trading the signing rights of the pending unrestricted free agent, to get anything in return. And while he didn't say anything specific, he was at the very least alluding to that there have been discussions.
Can Leafs get something for Marner's rights before July 1? "We'll see how that goes," Treliving says.
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There's nothing definitive there, but it is somewhat obvious that Treliving is doing what he should be doing: Looking at all avenues to get something in return for Marner. At this point, in just a few days the 28-year-old winger could be leaving his hometown hockey club to go get even more rich somewhere else, and Toronto can do anything about it or get anything back except the cap space Marner leaves behind.
But, if something can be arranged and if Marner wants to agree to a framework of a contract and know what team he wants to sign for, a trade could be made.
Of course, that would take actual cooperation between the Maple Leafs, Marner and his agent, and Marner's new team. And given just how Marner is treating the Leafs on his way out -- not giving them the time of day -- it feels like it is less of a possibility compared to Marner just leaving and heading out into the open market without a trade happening.
If Toronto is able to trade Marner's signing rights, the best they could maybe hope for is a second-round pick in exchange, but most likely something in the middle rounds of the Draft. A sign-and-trade -- where Marner would be able to commit to eight years "with Toronto" and then be traded elsewhere so the contract has that maximum term -- should provide more of a return for the Leafs, but also wouldn't be like trading Marner in the middle of a season or at the trade deadline.
At least we will know for certain whether a trade is happening or not in the next few days.