The Toronto Maple Leafs' season has had one major storyline running through it. The departure of Mitch Marner continues to haunt the Leafs to the point where Auston Matthews had to shut down any further talk of the matter.
Well, we’re talking about it now. Specifically, there’s a way the Maple Leafs could find a viable replacement for Marner, at least on offense.
The New York Rangers’ fire sale will most likely begin with impending UFA Artemi Panarin. The Russian star is in the final year of his current deal and has been informed that the Rangers will not offer him a new contract.
That’s hockeyspeak for “we can’t afford you, so we’re going to trade you.” Just about every team in the league would love to get Panarin on its roster. Save for the evidently rebuilding clubs, any team would get a boost from Panarin.
And the Maple Leafs are no different. Panarin could ride shotgun with Auston Matthews, pretty much picking up the slack Marner left in Toronto. That’s an idea Jonas Siegel of The Athletic conveyed in this comment:
“On paper, Panarin would obviously be a great fit for the Leafs. He could give Auston Matthews the elite sidekick he’s lacked since Mitch Marner’s departure.”
Yes, on paper, Panarin makes sense. But the path to getting him in a Maple Leafs jersey is fraught with obstacles. The biggest issue would be putting together a package that would make sense for the Rangers.
Then, there’s Panarin’s no-trade clause. But for the sake of this thought experiment, let’s assume he waives it.
Lastly, there’s the issue of Panarin’s cap hit. The Leafs would need to send some money back to New York to make the math work.
All of that aside, there’s one other issue that needs consideration. Panarin would be a solid offensive replacement for Marner. However, Marner is a two-way player. He kills penalties and remains a top defensive forward.
That’s something that Panarin cannot offer. Panarin is nowhere near anything close to two-way forward. But, given the Maple Leafs’ current situation, he could become a significant difference-maker.
This idea of Panarin in Toronto is far-fetched. Perhaps the Leafs may have a better chance of signing him in free agency. But then again, the temptation of being a big fish in the NHL’s largest market may be too much for Panarin to pass up.