With Matthew Knies breaking out last season, GM Brad Treliving now faces tough decisions about the future of upcoming free agent Mitch Marner and his role with the Maple Leafs.
Drafted 57th overall by Toronto in 2021, Knies has quickly proven his worth. He not only secured a spot on the main roster but ended up on the top line alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. In his rookie season, Knies tallied 15 goals and 20 assists in 80 games, an impressive feat for someone who jumped straight to the NHL from just two seasons of collegiate hockey, bypassing the AHL entirely. Now poised to be even more lethal this season, Knies has developed strong chemistry with his linemates and continues to earn trust—he even wore the ‘A’ during a preseason game against Montreal. His stock is rising, and the Leafs need to extend him sooner rather than later.
This, however, brings us to Marner. Since being selected 4th overall in 2015, Marner has been a star in Toronto, notching 194 goals and 445 assists in 576 games. While he’s been a regular-season dynamo, playoff success has eluded him and the rest of the Leafs’ core. Marner still shines in the postseason, with 50 points in 59 games, but his future is in question as his contract ends this season. With young talent like Knies, William Nylander, and promising prospects like Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten waiting in the wings, can the Leafs afford to keep Marner?
Brad Treliving has many options to consider. Should he pursue an elite defenseman like Ivan Provorov or Vladislav Gavrikov? Or should he make a splash for a goaltending tandem featuring Igor Shesterkin and Joseph Woll? Marner’s potential $11M salary could be redirected toward these moves, especially with captain John Tavares also needing a new contract soon.
Teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, with their ample cap space, could be enticing suitors for Marner. Pairing him with Connor Bedard could accelerate Chicago’s rebuild. The San Jose Sharks, too, might be in the mix, with young talents like Macklin Celebrini and Ty Dellandrea ready to emerge. Adding Marner could make them one of the most exciting teams to watch.
As the 2024-2025 season unfolds, the questions surrounding Marner’s future will loom large. Success might keep the Leafs’ core intact, but another failure could force Toronto to shake things up in a big way.