Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner nearly joined the Nashville Predators at the start of the 2024-25 season, thanks to Ryan O’Reilly’s efforts.

According to a recent report by Nick Kypreos, O’Reilly attempted to persuade Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz to trade for the Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner this offseason, before the team acquired Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei.

Truthfully, those three players present a stronger option than acquiring Marner alone, so Trotz made the right call, but it would have been a blockbuster move.

Let’s delve into a hypothetical scenario where Marner was traded to Nashville. Firstly, Marner would have had to agree to the move, but if he did, who would the Leafs seek in return?

The obvious choice would be goaltender Juuse Saros, but with his recent eight-year extension, it seemed the team intended to keep him. If not Saros, then who? A forward-for-forward trade, along with picks or prospects, might have been ideal for both sides.

A Marner-for-Forsberg trade would have been perfect.

To afford Marner, the Predators would need to clear significant cap space, and Filip Forsberg, with his $8.5M salary, would be a valuable trade chip for the Leafs. Forsberg, signed until 2030, is a two-time 40-goal scorer and would be an excellent second-line winger for the Leafs. Auston Matthews can lead his own line and, as shown in the past, he thrives with someone to pass and someone to retrieve the puck, much like his successful line with Zach Hyman and Marner.

However, an effective line doesn’t need excessive spending. For instance, a line of Matthew Knies, Max Domi, and Auston Matthews this year should suffice, with Knies retrieving, Domi passing, and Matthews scoring.

For the second line, the Leafs could have fielded a powerful trio of John Tavares, William Nylander, and Forsberg, which would dominate the opposition. This trade would have strengthened the Leafs and provided depth options for the third line, such as moving Knies or Nylander down for extra support.

Unfortunately, the trade didn’t materialize, and O’Reilly’s efforts were in vain, but imagining Forsberg in exchange for Marner is an intriguing thought.