Mitch Marner hit free agency at just the right time.
The Toronto Maple Leafs winger has become available right as the NHL salary cap takes a jump.
Because of that, Marner is expected to command a record contract.
NHL Trade Rumors' Brian La Rose writes, "As a result, while Mikko Rantanen recently set the NHL record for the highest AAV ($12MM) given to a winger, Marner is expected to eclipse that with speculation that multiple teams are ready to offer $14MM or more."
Marner, 28, is coming off his first 100-point season.
He's also a two-way star. In one game with the Maple Leafs down a defenseman, Marner played legitimate shifts as a D-man to help out his team.
That's exactly the kind of player that teams will line up to pay a ton of money for.
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Much of the speculation of late has centered around the Western Conference. The Ducks and Golden Knights are two teams that have been circled as likely to try and break the bank for Marner.
La Rose added in his analysis that the Maple Leafs could try and negotiate a sign-and-trade to get Marner an eighth year on his deal while earning Toronto a small return in a trade.
Regardless, Marner is about to secure the biggest bag for a winger in NHL history. The only remaining question is where it'll be coming from.
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