The Toronto Maple Leafs were unfortunately eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Bruins in seven games, and will spend the offseason trying to improve their roster and have a better result next season. It is expected that they will continue to make some changes that will alter the outlook of their roster heading into the 2024-25 campaign. While rumours have been flying for a while that Mitch Marner could be someone they opt to part with in hopes of changing the landscape of their lineup, it’s uncertain what the team’s plans are. Their first focus will be the upcoming NHL Entry Draft, followed by re-signing pending free agents, then free agency, which all comes and goes quickly.
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While the Maple Leafs would surely like to be big spenders and upgrade a few positions, it’s more likely they shift their focus to re-signing Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi, while trying to improve their goaltending tandem. Now, if the Maple Leafs decided they wanted to try and make a big change, Marner could be someone they look to part with. He is on a massive contract but is an unrestricted free agent following the 2024-25 season. If they decide to move him, it would likely be to a team that has plenty of draft picks, the cap space 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 teams looking to make some massive changes, and both of them are on massive contracts. While both teams could make the money work in a deal for Marner, the Maple Leafs need to try and avoid trading for either of those two if possible. Dubois has struggled since joining the Kings and showed no signs of improvement, while Jones has been slowly improving on a rebuilding team, but he is overpaid and shouldn’t be someone the Maple Leafs target to bolster their blue line.
Jones & Dubois Won’t Solve Maple Leafs’ Problems
Jones was part of a massive trade between the Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets in July 2021, and the deal was quickly seen as one of the worst of all time after the Blackhawks had locked Jones up for an eight-year contract worth $9.5 million per season. He was widely viewed as an overrated defender who was strong offensively, but rather weak defensively. The Blackhawks have seen him slowly improve in his own end as seasons have gone on, but he has yet to live up to the contract they signed him to.
Dubois was traded from the Winnipeg Jets to the Kings in a massive deal that led to the Kings locking up Dubois to an eight-year contract worth $8.5 million per season. He was viewed as a strong offensive asset who could produce scoring at a strong consistent pace, but he slowed down in his first season with the Kings. Coming off of a 63-point showing in the 2022-23 season, he followed it up with just 40 points through 82 games, showed a decline defensively, and was often demoted to the bottom-six during important games.
While both players could easily bounce back in the 2024-25 campaign, they have yet to prove themselves as someone a contending team should be willing to take a risk on. Marner has been a consistently strong two-way forward who performs well in both the regular season and the postseason, and is much more valuable than both Dubois and Jones. If Marner is really up on the trade block, the Maple Leafs should be looking for at least a first-round pick, as well as two NHL-ready players who can provide stability to their lineup next season.
Plenty of teams could be interested in Marner’s services if he’s available, and they could have better 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 deal, and are all in a position to pull off a massive trade with hopes of getting 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 have any interest in Marner.
