The Edmonton Oilers have signed forward Leon Draisaitl, clearing the way for the Toronto Maple Leafs to sign Mitch Marner.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been in stasis for months now, seemingly waiting for the Mitch Marner situation to resolve itself while the team's fans go in sane with angst and anxiety over their favorite player, or, as the case may be, their favorite player to try to run out of town.
Now, if we put aside the opinions of those we'd be embarrassed by, I think it's obvious that 99% of Maple Leafs fans want Marner re-signed. Those who don't have a megaphone called "social media" that makes them appear disproportionately representative, but in reality they are a very, very tiny minority of people.
And now that Draisaitl is signed, the last roadblock to the Leafs signing Marner is down and they can get on with their season.
Oilers sign Leon Draisaitl, clearing the way for the Leafs to sign Mitch Marner
The last time the Leafs signed Mitch Marner, it didn't set the standard so much as turn out to be a bit of embarrassment for the club.
Though signing dates and cap situations vary and help to explain away any real problems, the fact is the idea that Marner was overpaid compared to Draisaitl, Pastrnak, Rantanen, Guentzel, Kaprizov, and Kucherov has persisted for years.
Therefore, the last thing the Leafs wanted to do with an already unpopular GM and an embattled player is pay him and then turn around and watch Edmonton give less money to Leon Draisaitl.
Draisaitl is 28 and will turn 29 in October. His new contract has a $14 million dollar cap-hit and takes him to age 37. Marner is a year and a half younger, but he's also due for a new contract after his current one expires at the end of the upcoming season.
Draisaitl told Edmonton he wouldn't negotiate during the season, and I have no idea if Marner has issued a similar warning but it behooves the Leafs to get this done anyways. The last thing they want is to be talking about Marner being walked to free-agency and losing him for nothing every single day of the season.
Anyone who doesn't think this will be a problem must be extremely naïve. It will be the biggest distraction there has ever been like this. Marner is the second-best player to ever wear the Leafs uniform, or at least he will be when his career is over, and questions about his status will come to dominate the season if he isn't signed. He has a chance, should the so-obvious-its-almost-guaranteed thing happen and he ends up having several solid playoff seasons, to be the greatest Leafs player to ever live, outside of Auston Matthews.
Now that Marner and the Leafs know he can't have $14 million, this should get done easily. Matthews makes $13.25 so $12 to $12.5 should be an ovious number for Marner and the Leafs to land on.
Eight years is best, but even if it's only four years, that's still solid. Trading Marner has never been a real option, so he must be signed. No point in dragging it out either. Now that Draisaitl is signed, expect Marner to re-up shortly.