The Toronto Maple Leafs may be ushering in some big changes this summer, and now a potential move for a very expensive defenseman may be on the cards.
After years of disappointment in the playoffs, Mitch Marner was once again invisible for the Maple Leafs in their series against Boston, and now it appears as though the team will look to get him to waive his NMC. The season may have ended just days ago, but there's already been plenty of mock trades cooked up for his future, and now, NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman has given his opinion.
"If the Leafs make a Mitch Marner trade, maybe they don't, quote-on-quote, win the trade and get a stud defenseman in return, but I would think a defenseman would be part of that package»
He would go on to name drop Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones as a possible target, adding that he doesn't enjoy losing and would be happy to be moved out of Chicago.
«Jones has indicated that losing is not very easy on him,» Friedman reported. «If Chicago is going to keep losing, I wonder how Jones feels. I wonder how Jones would feel about [the Leafs] and how [Toronto] would feel about him.»
This trade would likely hinge on Marner's acceptance of a deal to Chicago, and given how he's performed in the regular season for his home-town team, it's unlikely that the Blackhawks would be an exciting landing spot for him. However, the chance to play with Connor Bedard certainly wouldn't be a bad opportunity for No. 16, especially given the hate we've seen among Leafs fans lately.
In fact, some Maple Leafs fans have already suggested it on social media, and with the need for blue line help, it's an intriguing thought, although very unlikely to happen.
Source: Hockey Feed
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