Everything is about the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL. The Mikko Rantanen trade is no exception. There was talk as far back as November, regarding a potential Toronto Maple Leafs trade involving Mikko Rantanen, even if it was just a fantasy.
The idea was that the Leafs could swap Mitch Marner for Rantanen given how both teams were unlikely to sign either star. That was never going to happen, however, because Rantanen is a shoot-first player, which the Leafs have a lot of, while Marner is much more complimentary of the game Tavaers, Matthews and Nylander all play.
So, why didn’t the Toronto Maple Leafs make a harder push to get Rantanen even if it didn’t involve sending Marner to Colorado?
It's simple: Marner is a homegrown, hometown kid who is extremely popular and wants to stay here. Marner is a two-way player who kills penalties and provides great defense. He's just a better fit, and even if he does end up walking, which is unlikely, the Leafs still have to try to win this year, and he gives them their best chance.
Could the Leafs Sign Rantanen?
If the Leafs fail to sign Marner, I suppose they would have a massive amount of cap space and could conceivably turn to Rantanen, but it really makes no sense.
The Leafs already have Matthews and Nylander and there is only one puck to go around. Someone has to be the guy who dishes it out.
Ultimately, I believe Marner will sign. In my estimation, the Marner camp is waiting for the official salary cap ceiling to be announced. When both sides know how much money they’ll be working with, a deal will follow shortly.
As for Tavares, the Leafs can only bring him back if they advance far enough in the playoffs this year. Otherwise it's going to be a tough sell on running it back, yet again.
If the Leafs pass on Tavares altogether or offer him a cheap deal, the Leafs could easily fit Rantanen’s new deal under the cap, but they likely won't. Why would the Leafs offer enough money to Rantanen to convince him to pass on the eigth year of the contract Carolina will presumably offer, but not offer enough to Marner to make him stay?
Marner has been more valuable than Rantanen this year so far, and even if most people prefer Rantanen to Marner, the difference is small enough that Marner's superior fit with what the Leafs already have would be the deciding factor.
It never made sense for the Leafs to trade for Rantanen and it makes even less sense for them to sign him in the offseason. This is one thing you can guarantee will never happen.