Mitch Marner Might Be on The Trade Block For The Maple Leafs…Should The Devils Pursue Him?

Mitch Marner Might Be on The Trade Block For The Maple Leafs…Should The Devils Pursue Him?

Mitch Marner might be out of Toronto this off season could one of his destinations be New Jersey we have a lot to break down today’s episode locked on Devils buckle up everybody you’re locked on Devils your daily podcast on the New Jersey Devils part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day hi this is Bryce Salvador and you’re locked on demil trade Matthews scores oh Steven stepped up nailor got the puck what a shot the Devils win the Stanley Cup all righty now what is up New Jersey welcome back to the locked ons podcast here on locked on network I’m your host College hockey plub play announcer dalls R pucks pitchforks and also parttime credential M member Trey Matthews another day goes by in which the New Jersey Devils still have not selected their next head coach I’ve been hearing a few reports here and there that a decision might turn up within the next few days but we are obviously well past that 7 to 10 day window that was initially reported by Pierre LeBron but it seems like the organization is taking their time on the matter and I said a few episodes ago that I actually commend them for that because in terms of having a young core you definitely want some consistent leadership you don’t want to be playing musical chairs in terms of having that person behind the bench or front office so if the Devils have to take their sweet time with it I say let them especially if some of their top candidates are still available a few of those coaches that come to mind are Sheldon Keefe and Jay woodc personally I prefer Keefe just based on what he did from an offensive standpoint out in Toronto with the core four pieces and he actually did something that had not been accomplished since 2004 which is Advance the Maple Leaves to the second round and I think you got to give him a lot of credit for that and speaking of the Toronto Maple let’s talk about one of their core pieces and that is Mitch Marner there are some reports making their way around the NHL discourse that Marner might want out of Toronto he has one year remaining on his contract and some tough decisions are going to have to be made because as we all know the map beliefs are a meme amongst the NHL in terms of never getting out of the first round they have all sorts of expectations heading into the season they’re a fantastic regular season team but come the playoffs they’ve only made it past the first round once since 2004 for reference they’re sort of like the Dallas Cowboys of the NHL or the New York Yankees which is they rely a lot on their history but when it’s time to perform at a bigger scale it doesn’t seem like they exceed expectations and I think they feel as though that that they need to make a drastic move if they want to see any significant progress Austin Matthews is signed for four more seasons William neanders their longterm John Tavaris and Mitch Marner both have one year remaining on their respective deals and they’re both said to become ufas at the conclusion of the 2024 2025 season however we don’t see teams trade away their Captain too often which means Mitch Marner might be the odd man out thus putting him on the trading block this summer it’s been documented that whatever trade that the maple Le go through with Marner more likely than not they’re going to lose it I did some research and I found an article courtesy of Eder and leaf which is a part of the fansided branch as you guys know I am a writer for pucks and pitchforks which is under the same roof and here’s what they had to say regarding a potential Marner trade they said it’s possible that Marner is so sick of Toronto that he’d be happy to suck it up anywhere for one season before hitting free agency but he’s most likely going to dictate where he goes although he’s incredibly skilled his 10.9 million contract is a tough one to move we talked about the Leafs needing a number one goalie and a top defenseman but most teams aren’t just going to give those up even if it means acquiring someone of marner’s stature boy ain’t that the truth I think the Devils also know the struggle regarding that the V diagram of teams Marner would wave his no movement Clause to go to and who have the cap space and assets the least want likely doesn’t include any teams this goes back to what I said just a few moments ago that despite Marner being a good two-way player and being a multi-time Allstar the Leafs might not get exactly what they want and it doesn’t matter who they end up trading him to they’re more likely to not going to get less than what they bargain for and that’s usually how trades go especially when you have a pending UFA you’re trying to make some drastic changes and you’re sort of in desperation mode and that’s where the maple are at at least from my perspective I don’t cover the team exclusively but just based on what I’ve been putting together it’s just like they can’t be stagnant for this amount of time they have a superstar in Austin Matthews there’s no way this leash team should only be satisfied with making the playoffs and that’s that whatever happens is just gravy no the devils are a team like that not the maple Le especially when people are saying that they have Championship aspirations but once again that’s just from an outside perspective but when looking back at Marner and what he’s capable of doing he is similar to niik he’s a phenomenal two-way player because last season he finished third in the selki race ahead of him was niik heser and Patrice Bergeron this season he took a few steps backwards in terms of placement he only received one first place vote one third place vote two fourth place votes and two fifth place votes and his overall ranking for the sky award 17th but his numbers are still really good this season he finished with 26 goals which was fourth on the team 59 assists finished first I think he was teeing up Austin Matthews a whole lot points 85 third on the team offensive Point share rating 6.8 third on the team defensive point share rating 2.0 sixth on the team 8.8 Point share rating third on the team plus minus rating of plus 21 second on the team even strength goals 17 fourth on the team even strength assist 40 first on the team Power Play Goals eight fourth on the team power play assists 19 second on the team and blocks I’m including this because I felt as though the Devils kind of struggled in this category last season 51 eighth on the team and he is a three-time allstar game participant it’s safe to say that Marner is an essential piece for the maple Le and if they are serious about moving him it’s definitely going to be a tough pill to swallow but you might get some teams that can capitalize on that opportunistic chance because Mitch Marner like I said a very good player and he could be a game changer for a lot of organizations but we’ll talk more about how this works for Devils does he fit the system and at the end of the day this is something that I’m going to talk a lot about during the offseason which is does he feel a need we talked about the needs that the Maple Leaves might have to do in order to improve the roster but the devils are in that same boat in terms of big game hunting you can’t just go for the best player available you got to go for the best player that can help your team win more games and I will elaborate on that momentarily but before we continue I want to tell you guys about policy genius I I think we all know that life insurance is an important safety net for your family but trying to find the right policy on your own can be timec consuming and a little overwhelming policy genius helps you compare your options from top companies and their team of licensed experts is there to help talk you through it talk to a team of award-winning agents who will walk you through the process step by step easily compare quotes from America’s Top insurers in just a few clicks to find your lowest price your work life insurance policy may not 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fun with it especially since the devils are not in the playoffs well the idea of the Devils potentially getting Marner actually originated on Bleacher Report there was an article released and the author Hannah Stewart came up with a few trade packages that could work for the maple Le and one of those packages included the Devils all right here’s what Hannah Stewart pitched the Devils get Marner and in exchange the maple get John Marino in a 2025 firstr draft pick here’s the explanation that Stuart provided with Jack Hughes on the men from shoulder surgery having a ready too infusion of offense in October is important put Marner alongside niiko kisher and watch them fly the Devils would need to move an asset to make the numbers work to bring in Marner Andre poot and erical come to mind but with Hughes he and brat locked into a long-term team-friendly deals New Jersey has the financial flexibility to pull off the deal on the Toronto side John Marino is an effective defensive defenseman with the way the leavs tend to regress into quotequote we need less Flash and more Focus mode when making big changes he seems like a reasonable Target his struggles this season are uncharacteristic and it would be fair to expect the 26y old to bounce back from minus 6 performance to something closer to the plus 21 player he was the season before with a new system and a new coach he can likely recover key aspects of his play particularly his ability to control the game in transition a first round pick in 2025 is something the Leafs don’t have and next year’s draft class already looks appealing okay editor and leaf gave their response in a recent article to this trade package and I would say out of all the trade package that were offered it seems like this was the one that they tolerated the most but they’re a little unsure with John Marino let’s talk about Marino for a second yes you are right Marino did take a couple steps backwards but I think you also have to factor in that the Devils were kind of struggling in terms of defensive depth and they had to uh put a lot of burden on some players shoulders including John Marino but the thing is like you’re absolutely right Marino is really good in terms of just playing transition defense and something that I like to Circle back to is that during the 2022 2023 season when the Devils were in Emmington taking on the Oilers something that I liked that John Marino was doing was that he was taking away the airspace of Conor McDavid as in we know that McDavid is capable of scoring but I think he’s the most dangerous when he’s getting his teammates involved because it seems like McDavid is focused on getting the apples than he is getting the goals and I I respect him for that that’s why he tallies up a lot of points year after year after year but what is Marino doing he’s double teaming alongside with Yona sealer basically taking the airspace away from McDavid to make him a little uncomfortable now in that game McDavid did score but after that he wasn’t given much room to operate and the Devils ended up winning that game and there was another example later on in which Marino he took a bit of of a nasty hit but he kept on going he didn’t stumble he didn’t fall he didn’t like uh limp over to the bench he didn’t grab anything he continued to play and Shrugged it off as if a fly had hit him John Marino is a very solid defenseman and I’d say he was an important asset to have for New Jersey last year during their historic run and yes he did take a couple steps backwards this season but I still think that he has a lot to Showcase and he has a lot to prove which is why the Devils initially got him on the down low when they acquired him from the Pittsburgh Penguins he’s not flashy but I don’t think that’s what the mapley are looking for they’re looking for defense and a goalie similar to The Devils now the one gripe I do have with this argument is that you’re basically saying that offense is a priority for the Devils with Jack Hughes coming back from shoulder surgery I’m actually gonna argue against that the offense is still going to be fine because even when Jack Hughes was out the offense wasn’t the problem for New Jersey you still got team o meire you still got Jesper brat you got Nico heser and do I have to reiterate this again Jesper Brad led the devils in points Jack Hughes wasn’t the best offensive weapon this season and that might be a hot take but the numbers don’t lie and if you want to go back a little further before the trade deadline Tyler tley was into the mix and he was doing pretty well I don’t think off def is the problem for New Jersey and I don’t think that would be the main narrative in which why they would get Mitch Marner courtesy of stevenh Nixon of editor and leaf here’s basically what he had to say about those trade speculations and that particular trade package he said that John Marino is a solid defenseman but if he had to make a comparison he would compare him to current Maple leafes player Jake buzzin of course a healthy version of Jake muin because right now he is on the ltir and remember muzin is a former Stanley Cup champion don’t want to take that away from him big question is like would you trade Marner for muzen no but muzin is a very solid defenseman so at least he’s giving Marino his his roses but maybe that’s not the defenseman that the Maple Leafs have in mind but keep in mind Marino is a top four defenseman because he is vital on the devil’s roster and he also said that Hughes Marner and heer would be an interesting tandem for the devils and I would agree with that but I don’t know if the maple Le would do this trade package but that’s what we’re going to talk about in segment three I’m going to give my conclusion on the matter that’s the trade package which is John Marino a 2025 firstr draft pick for Mitch Marner which if we’re if we’re thinking about this that could be a steal for New Jersey but it’s not exactly a need I don’t think they have to do a deal like that and we’ll talk about that momentarily but before we continue let me tell you about eBay Motors passion drive and patience the formula for winning championships is also what keeps your ride or die alive eBay Motors is everything you need to maintain your vehicle and level up the Peak Performance superchargers roof racks exhaust kits LED headlights and more whether you’re into speed power or style eBay Motors has got you covered with over 122 million parts for your number one ride or die you always find exactly what you’re looking for and with eBay guaranteed fit your part is guaranteed to fit your ride every time or your money back because with eBay Motors you’re burning rubber not cash with all the parts you need at the price you want it’s easy to make your car the MVP and bring home huge wins keep your ride or die alive at ebaymotors.com eligible items only exclusions apply eBay guaranteed fit only available to us customers okay final verdict would I do that particular trade package for Mitch Marner and a bigger question is should the Devils be interested in Mitch Marner here are my concerns with it the first being is the contract length remember Marner is expected to make $10.9 million this season and then he’s going to become an unrestricted free agent there’s two parts to this puzzle part one is that the Devils might be able to get him at a cheap Penny John Marino and a firstr Draft pick on paper it seems like the Devils win this deal because they get the better player but part two of that is you got to think of Trades as an investment Marino is signed long term and Marner there’s no guarantee that he’ll resign with the devils and keep in mind he’s going to be demanding a decent amount of money and one of the big points during the offseason for Devils is like who do you sacrifice because Dawson Mercer Alexander Holtz Simo Nemitz Luke Hughes probably forgetting a few others they’re gonna need new contracts sooner rather than later Dawson Mercer this off season he’s gonna need a new contract you got to factor that in all right another thing that I want to add to that is the defensive depth because that’s been a big issue for the Devils this past season remember when douge Hamilton went down with his injury and people thought it was going to be a blessing in disguise but they soon realized that Hamilton is very important on this roster regardless of what you think of him from a playing standpoint it really hurt the devils in terms of their depth nemes had to be thrusted into a role he was uncomfortable with same with Luke Hughes those poor kids were overworked and if the Devils had Championship aspirations it’s kind of hard to do that with an inexperienced Blue Line because if you got to play the Carolina Hurricanes in one of those series once again it’s not going to end too well for you let’s just say Marino is off the board for New Jersey and he is included in that Marner trade package who’s going to replace them Sheamus Casey that you’re just making it even worse on yourself and you’re putting it you’re putting yourself into an uncomfortable position and that’s what the Devils need to focus on which is you need to add more defensive depth you need to get a grittier defenseman and that sort of leads into my last talking point for this segment which is is Marner an absolute need because remember the Devils got Tyler toley last off seon and toi is a good player in in my eyes but he wasn’t a need he was a want and remember the phrase too many cooks in the kitchen and once T Foley was dealt to the Winnipeg Jets Dawson Mercer and teimo Meyer both stepped up their production because their roles increased a little bit more my thing is like I do like Marner he’s a phenomenal player but the one thing I’m just concerned with is like this seems more like a want and not a need keep in mind Marner is a pretty decent two-way player he finished third in the cel award race last season similar to what I said in segment one he’s a dynamic player but I just don’t think he’s in necessity for New Jersey for a time being especially since he only has one year remaining on his contract he’s gonna demand a lot of money losing John Marino he might not be the better player but he certainly helps in terms of the devil’s depth and who are they going to replace him with that’s also a big question and Marner is not a need he is a want that’s my opinion on the matter the verdict for me is a no that might be a hot take and you can come at me all you want but just looking at this logically looking at this with some common sense offense is not the issue for New Jersey never has been for the past few seasons it’s been their goal tending and their defense because it doesn’t matter look at the maple Le it doesn’t matter if you score five goals if you let up six and the Maple leavs they’re in need of more defense and goal tending so in a sense the Devils would be helping them out with their issues because they still got Austin Matthews William neander they still got some decent offensive weapons but you just help their defense out a little bit more whereas the Devils they get more offense that’s great they can never get enough offense but defense and goal tending is still a big question mark and if you add Marner to the table with his financial issues and uh the possible length of his contract would there be any room for the Devils to get another goalie and a defenseman just think about that before you come at me but that’s just my two opinion let me know what you guys think leave a comment down below if you’re watching on YouTube if you’re listening on podcast streaming service hit me up on my personal xpage app at treat 4 or the shows xpage app at lockon Devils at today’s episode that’s all the time I have for you see you stay safe have a wonderful day New Jersey go Devils I’ll catch you guys in next episode thanks for listening once again

It’s been reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs might place Mitch Marner on the trade block. Bleacher Report recently released an article on hypothetical Marner trade packages. The New Jersey Devils were one of the teams included. Marner is a three-time all-star and was tops in a lot of categories for the Maple Leafs.

Bleacher Report article: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10121198-4-teams-with-realistic-trade-packages-for-maple-leafs-forward-mitch-marner

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