The Toronto Maple Leafs have once again been eliminated in the first round, and changes are demanded there.
A star player could depart, and it seems inevitable. Fans wanted to see Mitch Marner elsewhere after the defeat to the Bruins, but he mentioned that he did not want to leave Toronto at the end-of-season review.
Plot twist, as Marner would ultimately not be against a trade and a change of scenery.
"People are talking in Toronto, the epicenter of the hockey universe... and what they're saying is that Marner is not opposed to a trade," he mentioned. "Maybe he thinks the time has come, that elsewhere he could lay low, if you will. Maybe that place is Anaheim or Nashville or elsewhere."
The captain, John Tavares, wants to finish his contract in Toronto. He has a no-movement clause that protects him, and he can sign for a smaller salary with the Leafs or elsewhere in a year.
Regarding Marner, a proposal to send him to Utah had been put forward and it made a lot of sense, in exchange for Clayton Keller.
The former Coyotes' star forward is not as productive as Marner, certainly, but he has grit, and he could be an important asset in the playoffs.
One thing is certain; Marner has only one year left on his contract, and he will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2025.
If the Maple Leafs hope to get the maximum out of a trade involving him, Marner will have to agree to a contract extension with his new club, much like Pierre-Luc Dubois did.
