Will Maple Leafs Pull Off Next Blockbuster Trade?

Are the Toronto Maple Leafs the next team to pull off a blockbuster trade?

Jan 16, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner (16) skates with the puck against the New Jersey Devils in the third period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a cloud of doubt hanging over their heads all season long. Yes, the pressure of their Stanley Cup drought is immense and endless, but for now the more pressing issue is coming to a decision point. Mitch Marner, one of the team's and NHL's best players, is in the final season of his contract and a new deal is not close.

With the uncertainty surrounding Marner's future in Toronto, there is a growing sense that the Maple Leafs follow in the footsteps of the Colorado Avalanche before the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. The Avs were in the same circumstances as the Leafs at the start of the season. Their star winger, Mikko Rantanen, was due a new, mega-contract, and the organization wanted to come to terms. After months of negotiations coming up empty, the Avs cut their losses and set up a blockbuster trade that sent Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Rantanen has had three straight 90+ point seasons and is one of the most impressive offensive players in the league. If he can be traded, why not Marner? In many ways, the two are in a very similar position. The Avalanche have a perennial MVP candidate in Nathan MacKinnon, and that means he is the highest-paid player. Rantanen was rumored to desire a salary that exceeded MacKinnon's, and whether or not that's confirmed, the reality is the Avs couldn't come to terms with their other star player and sent him out of town.

The Maple Leafs also have a perennial MVP candidate in their captain, Auston Matthews. Matthews makes a bit over $13 million annually. If Marner is, like Rantanen, seeking a deal that exceeds that of the team's top superstar, is that what pushes the Toronto front office towards a trade?

All eyes are on the Leafs now. The Avalanche kicked off the carousel of movement, and a blockbuster involving Mitch Marner could be the next move to shock the NHL.

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