The Toronto Maple Leafs were tragically eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Bruins in seven games, and will spend the offseason trying to improve their lineup and have a better result next season. It is predicted that they will continue to make some adjustments that will affect the aspect of their lineup heading into the 2024-25 campaign. While reports have been swirling for a while that Mitch Marner could be someone they elect to part with in hopes of changing the landscape of their roster, it’s uncertain what the team’s ambitions are. Their first priority will be the forthcoming NHL Entry Draft, followed by re-signing pending free agents, then free agency, which all comes and goes swiftly.
While the Maple Leafs would definitely prefer to be big spenders and boost a few spots, it’s more probable they shift their focus to re-signing Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi, while seeking to improve their goaltender combination. Now, if the Maple Leafs decided they wanted to try and make a huge shift, Marner may be someone they look to part with. He is on a big contract but is an unrestricted free agent following the 2024-25 season. If they chose to move him, it would likely be to a team that has plenty of draft picks, the cap room to bring him in, and a player on a contract that could bring the money closer together.
Two players who come to mind are Chicago Blackhawks’ defender Seth Jones, and Los Angeles Kings’ forward Pierre-Luc Dubois. Both are on clubs seeking to make some significant changes, and both of them are on massive contracts. While both teams may make the money work in a deal for Marner, the Maple Leafs need to try and avoid moving for any of those two if feasible. Dubois has struggled since joining the Kings and shown no indications of improvement, while Jones has been slowly improving on a developing team, but he is overpriced and shouldn’t be someone the Maple Leafs pursue to reinforce their blue line.
Jones & Dubois Won’t Solve Maple Leafs’ Problems
Jones was part of a major trade between the Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets in July 2021, and the move was instantly seen as one of the worst of all time after the Blackhawks had locked Jones up for an eight-year contract costing $9.5 million per season. He was largely seen as an overrated defender who was great offensively, but fairly mediocre defensively. The Blackhawks have seen him incrementally improve in his own end as seasons have gone by, but he has yet to live up to the contract they signed him to.
Dubois was transferred from the Winnipeg Jets to the Kings in a major deal that led to the Kings tying up Dubois to an eight-year contract worth $8.5 million per season. He was seen as a powerful offensive weapon who could produce scoring at a strong consistent clip, but he slowed down in his first season with the Kings. Coming off of a 63-point performance in the 2022-23 season, he followed it up with just 40 points over 82 games, showed a downturn defensively, and was often demoted to the bottom-six during critical games.
While both players might potentially bounce back in the 2024-25 campaign, they have yet to prove themselves as someone a competitive team should be prepared to take a gamble on. Marner has been a consistently solid two-way forward who performs well in both the regular season and the postseason, and is far more useful than both Dubois and Jones. If Marner is genuinely available on the trade block, the Maple Leafs should be seeking for at least a first-round selection, as well as two NHL-ready players who can bring consistency to their lineup next season.
Plenty of teams might be interested in Marner’s services if he’s available, and they could have stronger assets than the Kings and Blackhawks. The Vegas Golden Knights, Utah HC, Boston Bruins, and Detroit Red Wings all have the assets to pull off a transaction, and are all in a position to pull off a huge trade with aspirations of coming back to a Stanley Cup championship. At the end of the day, the Maple Leafs need to avoid acquiring either Jones or Dubois should the Kings or Blackhawks show any interest in Marner.
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