The Toronto Maple Leafs have two key free agents this offseason Mitch Marner and John Tavares.
The future of Marner has been a major talking point, and TSN’s NHL insider Pierre LeBrun shared a unique idea that sees Toronto get rid of the forward in free agency.
“I’ll put this to you three before we wrap up and you have to give me your true answer on this. Let’s make this about the Leafs,” LeBrun said on ‘TSN’s OverDrive’. “If the Leafs get bounced out in the first round and Marner hasn’t signed yet, and Shesterkin hasn’t signed yet, and it’s July 1, and you are the Leafs and you got a shot at either one, what do you do?”
After LeBrun’s question, Bryan Hayes and Jeff O’Neill both said it was clear that the Maple Leafs should dump Marner for Shesterkin if that is the possibility.
The hosts believe a first-round exit shows the core doesn’t work and there is a need for change. So, Hayes and O’Neill think Toronto should try and sign Shesterkin and replace Marner’s salary with the star goalies.
Shesterkin went 36-17-2 with a 2.58 GAA and a .913 SV% for the New York Rangers last season. Marner, meanwhile, recorded 26 goals and 59 assists for 85 points in 69 games.
Rangers GM Hopeful to get Shesterkin Contract Done
Shesterkin is entering the final year of his four-year $22.67 million deal with the Rangers.
The goaltender was eligible to sign an extension as of July 1, but he has yet to sign one. However, Rangers general manager Chris Drury said they want to keep the goalie but won’t comment on any contract discussions.
“I’m not going to get into any private discussions or negotiations with Igor or his agents publicly, but you all know what I think of Igor and what we all think of Igor around here and we certainly hope he’s here and a Ranger for a long time,” Drury said. “You know how important he is to our team and our organization. We’re going to do everything we can to make sure he’s here for a long time.”
Shesterkin, however, said he is leaving the negotiations to his agent and doesn’t want to be involved.
“I have one more year, so I don’t care about it. I love the organization, I love the team, I love the fans,” Shesterkin said. “So of course it will be great to stay here, but you never know what can happen.”
Shesterkin was selected 118th overall in the 2014 NHL draft by the Rangers.
Marner Wants to Remain With Maple Leafs
Despite Marner being the subject of trade rumors all summer long, the skilled winger has made it clear he wants to remain in Toronto.
Marner is entering the final year of his six-year $65.41 million deal with the Maple Leafs. Ahead of training camp, Marner once again made it clear he wanted to remain with his hometown team.
“I don’t know if I would say that,” Marner said to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. “But I think for my sake, unless it gets really important or (I’m) really needed, I’m going to let my agent and Brad do all the talking and figure stuff out. I’m just going to focus on playing hockey and trying to help this team win games.”
Marner has said playing for the Leafs is his childhood dream and something that is special to him, which is why he wants to remain in Toronto long-term.
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Insider Shares Idea of Maple Leafs Dumping Mitch Marner for Star Goalie