Toronto Maple Leafs Swap Mitch Marner For Former 1st Overall Pick & Star Defenseman In Blockbuster Trade Proposal That Would Make Them The Stanley Cup Favorites
A blockbuster trade proposal has the Toronto Maple Leafs shaking up their core by dealing superstar Mitch Marner to an Eastern Conference rival.
Ever since the Boston Bruins eliminated Toronto in the opening round of the playoffs, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving has faced calls to trade one of his “Core Four” players. Auston Matthews and William Nylander aren’t going anywhere after signing lucrative extensions, but Treliving could be willing to move out John Tavares or Mitch Marner for the right price.
Tavares and Marner are entering the final year of their respective contracts, and it’s highly unlikely that Toronto will keep them both beyond 2024-25. With Toronto needing more help on the back end, Treliving should be eyeing a trade partner that will take on one of these veteran forwards in exchange for a top-four blueliner.
A user of the PuckPedia website proposed a blockbuster trade idea that would see the Maple Leafs send Marner and Timothy Liljegren to the New York Rangers in exchange for star defenseman Jacob Trouba and 2020 first overall pick Alexis Lafrenière.
The Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy last season as the league’s top regular season team, but their campaign ended with a tough loss in the Eastern Conference Final for the second time in three years.
Mitch Marner Would Fit Perfectly In The Big Apple
Lafrenière has not reached superstar status since entering the league four years ago, though he posted 28 goals and 57 points last season, both career bests. That said, the Rangers would be upgrading up front by taking on a consistent 90-point threat in Marner, who just might help the Blueshirts get over the top in a tough Eastern Conference once and for all.
Marner might even post better numbers in the Big Apple with Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider and Adam Fox at his side. For the Leafs, they’d get a stud puck-moving blueliner in Trouba and a cheap Marner replacement in Lafrenière, who may finally hit his ceiling in Toronto. It’s simply a win-win for all parties.
