NHL Rumors: Maple Leafs Star Forward Could Be Moved to Vegas!
Welcome to another edition of NHL Rumors! The Toronto Maple Leafs’ star forward Mitch Marner might finally be on the move. Rumor has it that the Vegas Golden Knights are the front-runners to acquire Marner. This could be the next big blockbuster trade of the summer.
NHL Rumors
Rumor: Lucas Nola has claimed that talks between the two clubs are ongoing and has shared details about the potential return for the right winger.
The rumored return for Marner would address two key areas for the Leafs. On Wednesday evening, in Las Vegas ironically, General Manager Brad Treliving addressed the media and was asked about Marner. He also discussed his focus once free agency hits on July 1. Treliving stated that their priority is to acquire defensemen, as Toronto needs two top-four defenders. Additionally, they are looking for another goaltender to complement Joseph Woll.
Theodore Analysis
Shea Theodore is undoubtedly a top-four defender who could also quarterback the top power-play unit. While the Leafs need right-handed defensemen, Theodore has shown versatility by playing on the right side with Vegas. Theodore has impressive offensive talent and won a Stanley Cup with the Knights, bringing valuable pedigree. Although Morgan Rielly has respectable puck skills, Theodore would provide the offensive production from the backend that the Maple Leafs have lacked. Last summer, Treliving acquired John Klingberg to address this issue, but that move didn’t work out as planned.
Last season, Theodore was sidelined for about three months with an upper-body injury. Despite missing 35 games, he finished the season with 42 points in 47 games. In a full 82-game season, he would be on pace for over 70 points, which would place him among the top six scoring defensemen. The main concern with Theodore is his health, as he hasn’t played a full season since being drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in 2013.
Logan Thompson to Create Tandem with Woll
This is where the NHL rumors get interesting. Adding Thompson would help create a young goaltending tandem in Toronto. The other piece of this rumored Marner trade is goaltender Logan Thompson. Thompson had a solid season despite missing a few games with a minor injury. He finished the regular season with 25 wins in a career-high 46 games and a save percentage of .908%. His numbers were even better in the playoffs, with a .921 save percentage in four games.
Thompson isn’t ready to start 60-plus games in a season, but neither is Woll. Splitting starts between Thompson and Woll would allow them to manage the workload and support each other. This trade makes a lot of sense for Toronto.
Additionally, both Theodore and Thompson are in the last year of their contracts, just like Marner. Both are also on great deals, with Theodore at $5.2M AAV and Thompson at $766K AAV. For the Leafs, this is attractive given their limited cap space. Keep an eye out for Marner potentially heading to Sin City.
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