The Toronto Maple Leafs could make Mitch Marner available for trade as they start a new era under head coach Craig Berube, and there is no storage of proposed trades hitting the rumor mill these days.
Could the Maple Leafs find a trade partner in reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners the New York Rangers?
NHL analyst Brian La Rose of Pro Hockey Rumors answered a few readers’ questions in a mailbag published on June 15. One user proposed a “straight up” trade between the Leafs and the Rangers.
The user believes such a trade “fills organizational holes for each, and opens up first-line (left wing) for (Alexis) Lafreniere.” Moreover, the user thinks “Panarin’s a little better but Marner is a little younger,” with both players having “similar contracts.”
The trade proposal and the reader’s explanation prompted La Rose to tackle the idea with his expertise and knowledge of the NHL and both teams and players involved in the swap.
La Rose thinks this idea is rather complex and he noted that while the proposal has merit, both teams are likely to reject it.
“In a vacuum, I don’t dislike the offer for either side; your quick logic makes sense,” La Rose wrote. “I do think both sides would say no, however.”
La Rose’s reasoning is solid. He explained that Toronto’s motivation for trading Marner would be to strengthen other parts of their roster, not to make a one-for-one type of deal in which they’d get a similar (albeit perhaps a bit better) type of player.
The Leafs are looking to bolster their defense and to acquire a No. 1 goaltender. None of those needs would be addressed by landing Panarin from New York.
“Maybe (the Leafs trade) for a prominent blueliner, a power forward, a future center to possibly replace John Tavares, or a combination of the three,” La Rose wrote. “Artemi Panarin does none of that.
“He gets them an extra year of club control at a slightly higher price tag which isn’t nothing but that’s not the type of roster shakeup I think they’d be looking to do.”
Panarin’s Appeal to the Maple Leafs After 120-Point Season
Panarin had a career year in 2023-24 leading the Rangers to their fourth Presidents’ Trophy title as the best regular-season team in the NHL.
The Russian forward had an outstanding regular season, playing in all 82 games and scoring a career-high 120 points (49 goals, 71 assists). Peter Baugh of The Athletic graded Panarin’s regular-season performance with an “A+” but only handed the winger a “C” grade for his postseason play.
