The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to lose Mitch Marner in free agency, but there are a few ways Toronto could get creative if it wants to ensure it gets a decent package for him in return instead of losing him for nothing.
It's possible that Marner could sign an eight-year deal, but that only works in a sign-and-trade scenario, which would allow teams to lower his AAV, helping their cap situations.
When looking at a team that could potentially benefit from that, Dean Chaudhry of Maple Leafs Daily recently said that the most obvious sign-and-trade possibility would be with the Vegas Golden Knights.
“The most obvious sign-and-trade possibility would be with the Vegas Golden Knights, who have become the favourites to land Mitch Marner,” Chaudhry wrote.
“They’ve been reportedly shopping Tomas Hertl… as well as William Karlsson and potentially others including Ivan Barbashev. To make Marner’s potential cap hit work, they would have to move a few bodies – and that’s where Toronto can jump in.”
The Golden Knights have been one of the teams most linked to Marner in recent days.
It remains uncertain when a deal will be finalized for him anywhere, but given the magnitude of this free agency decision for all parties involved, it's possible that it could take some time.
He has a lot of money on the table, and with him being clearly the top free agent on the market, it's also possible that his decision will slow down some other moves.
For the Maple Leafs, if they understand they're going to lose him, even if it means making the Golden Knights a better team, it's smarter than him signing with them and not getting anything in return.