Mitch Marner’s free agency continues to heat up, with many expecting him to leave the Toronto Maple Leafs. Unfortunately, while the Maple Leafs are in a position to lose their top player, that doesn't mean they can't be a good team in the future.
For the Maple Leafs, they'll have to hope they make the right moves after he departs, if that's how everything plays out.
Recently, while searching for potential landing spots, CBS Sports predicted that the Vegas Golden Knights could be one, adding that with Mark Stone aging, Marner could be the ideal replacement.
“Whenever a big name hits the market, the Golden Knights always seem to be involved. To sign Marner, Vegas would have to move some money out, but that has never proven to be an issue in the past. As Mark Stone gets older, the Golden Knights need another high-end winger to pick up the slack, and Marner is an ideal candidate.
“Like Stone, Marner has the reputation of being an excellent defensive winger, tallying some Selke Trophy votes in each of the last seven seasons. Marner also brings more offensive pop than Stone, and Vegas is in need of that after averaging less than three goals per game in the postseason,” Austin Nivison wrote.
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Marner is coming off a 100-plus point season, but had another dud in the playoffs. Perhaps that's more because of what the Maple Leafs have been for much of their existence, but it's also tough to ignore some of his struggles when it matters most, too.
Regardless, Vegas seems to be interested in signing one of the top players in the league, and Marner could be interested in playing for them.