In an interview on TSN 1050 yesterday morning, insider Darren Dreger spoke about the Mitch Marner saga and mentioned he believes Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving would rather extend Marner than trade him. If that is the case, a few things come to mind.
Change Was Promised
At the Maple Leafs’ post-mortem press conference, after yet another seven-game loss to the Boston Bruins in the first round, the Toronto brass mentioned they would be “looking at everything” in the hope of finally winning the Stanley Cup. Considering how much criticism Marner received for his performance in the playoffs and the treatment received in the media, many deduced he would be shipped out of town in the coming months.
However, no one from the Maple Leafs’ organization ever plainly said: we’re going to be trading Marner. It was certainly alluded that the Core Four could be split up, but it wasn’t explicitly said. Amid their first-round series against Boston, insider Elliotte Friedman said on his 32 Thoughts podcast that unless Toronto pulled off a big comeback after falling behind 3-1, it would be the end of the Core Four.
They might not have entirely pulled it off, but they got very close and played like a real team to get to Game 7. Could it be that the front office did look at everything and decided the Core Four should be allowed yet another kick at the can?
If the change promised turns out to be letting go of Sheldon Keefe and Guy Boucher, it hardly seems sufficient. They weren’t the ones playing the games and after eight years and only one series win, I doubt a simple change of voice in the locker room will improve the situation.
Who Else Could Go?
Marner is not the only member of the Core Four on an expiring deal, captain John Tavares is in the same position. Could he be the one shipped out of town? It seems unlikely and if that were to happen it’s hard to imagine the fans reacting positively.
By the time his contract expires, Tavares will be 34 and will not be able to ask for the moon in extension talks. Would trading him and putting the “C” on Auston Matthews‘ jersey make sense? I believe it could work, but the main thing here is to make sure that if and when a trade is made, Treliving doesn’t repeat the mistakes of the past. He’s already signed two extensions himself with Matthews and William Nylander, and they both include a full no-movement clause.
It’s important for the Maple Leafs not to paint themselves into a corner as much as they have so far. It’s all well and good to believe you’ve got all the right pieces in place, but not giving yourself any leeway for potential adjustments is not only arrogant but also ill-advised. After trying the same recipe for years now, Toronto is finally ready to explore the idea of making some changes, but can they? The Core Four players have full control of their destiny and if they do not wish to move on, nobody can force them.
Could the team explore trading Nylander or Matthews? With the cap hits their contracts have, it’s highly unlikely that a general manager would want to take on those contracts. Even if someone wanted to, it wouldn’t happen without the player’s say so.
Is Treliving Scared?
If Dreger is right and Treliving would rather extend Marner than trade him, what’s the thinking behind that? Is he afraid of looking bad following the transaction? Is he worried that if he trades Marner, he’ll just go on to win the Stanley Cup elsewhere like Nazem Kadri did with the Colorado Avalanche?
Related: Could Maple Leafs Repeat Kadri Mistake by Trading Marner
If that is the case, what makes him think that keeping hold of Marner couldn’t backfire just as badly? Is there any guarantee that once he has signed a contract extension, things will come together in the playoffs? No, there is not. Furthermore, if after change was promised none is done aside from coaching adjustments, the ire will be even more intense.
The role of GM is not for the faint of heart and being able to make the tough decisions is what it’s all about. Whatever decision he makes though, there will always be people to criticize it.
It wouldn’t be all that surprising if the Core Four members all started the season in Toronto. Moving players with such stupendous contracts is no easy task and it can be a marathon rather than a sprint. If they do, it won’t necessarily be confirmation that Treliving didn’t want to trade any of them, he could have tried and failed.
In any case, extending Marner would be a mistake in my opinion. When Brendan Shanahan decided to fire Kyle Dubas and replace him with Treliving, he wanted things to change. What use would it have been to change the GM only for the new one to just follow the exact same path as his predecessor?
Finally, even entertaining the thought of extending Marner shows that Treliving is entirely disconnected from the Toronto fan base. When things are going well, Scotiabank Arena is a fairly tame building, but when the fans are annoyed, they have perhaps the shortest temper in the league. The boos, the chants, the jersey chucking on the ice, we’ve all seen it and it’s not something the organization should want to face again.
