Insider Links Blackhawks as Potential Suitors for 2 Maple Leafs Stars

Getty Blackhawks are expected to show interest in Marner & Tavares.

NHL insider Mark Lazerus of The Athletic believes the Chicago Blackhawks will show interest in Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner and John Tavares in free agency.

Tavares and Marner are both entering the final year of their deal as the Maple Leafs forwards could walk in free agency come July 1. Although both players have expressed interest in remaining with the Maple Leafs, Lazerus links the two as potential targets for the Blackhawks.

“With Mitch Marner, Brock Boeser, Nikolaj Ehlers, John Tavares, Shea Theodore, and Aaron Ekblad among the players slated for unrestricted free agency next summer, just as players such as Oliver Moore and Levshunov are ready to break into the NHL for good, things could get interesting very quickly,” Lazerus wrote in his article.

The Blackhawks insider believes Chicago will be active next summer to try and improve their roster. Chicago is in the midst of a rebuild, but if the Blackhawks could land either Tavares or Marner it would help their rebuild out a ton.

Tavares skated in 80 games last season recording 29 goals and 36 assists for 65 points. Marner, meanwhile, recorded 26 goals and 59 assists for 85 points in 69 games.

Insider Expects Blackhawks to be Aggressive

With Chicago already having solid prospects in the system, Lazerus believes the Blackhawks are ready to become more competitive.

Lazerus points to what Chicago tried to do at the draft as evidence. With that, he believes the Blackhawks will be aggressive next summer in free agency and trades to make Chicago a playoff team again.

“The fact that Davidson was ready to trade next year’s unprotected top pick (almost certainly a top-10 pick) to Columbus for the ability to draft Demidov is as clear a sign as any that the Blackhawks are ready to stop living years in the future. Could they deal away future picks for players? It’s possible, but unlikely,” Lazerus wrote.

“Trades like that are rare, and it’s not as if they’ll be in the rental market at the trade deadline. But perhaps they look for this generation’s Brian Campbell and/or Marian Hossa next summer — the player who signals to both the team and its fans that it’s time to start taking the Blackhawks seriously again,” Lazerus added.

The Blackhawks had the second-worst record in the NHL last season as they went 23-53-6.

Marner & Tavares Want to Stay in Toronto

Although Lazerus has linked Tavares and Marner to the Blackhawks, both Maple Leafs’ forwards have made it clear they want to remain in Toronto.

“That’d be a goal. I’ve expressed my love for this place, this city. Obviously, I’ve grown up here. We’ll start thinking about that now and trying to figure something out. … It means the world to me,” Marner told the media on May 6.

Tavares, meanwhile, left the New York Islanders to sign with his hometown team and would like to continue playing for Toronto.

“I love playing here. It’s a remarkable place to play,” Tavares said. “And when I committed here six years ago, obviously I saw a tremendous amount of talent and an amazing hockey market and organization that’s fully committed to winning and doing whatever it can — and I still feel that way.”

Whether or not Toronto wants to keep both Marner and Tavares past this season is to be seen.