Leafs and Flyers make perfect trade partners on a Mitch Marner deal
Mitch Marner may have played his last game as a Maple Leaf and while trade speculation continues to rise, the Flyers could be welcoming trade partner.
The most common talking point since the Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated out of the first round against the Boston Bruins has been what to do with the current "Core-4". Breaking them up seems like the most logical and likely solution but with 2 of them extended long-term and one of them being an aging veteran on the decline, that leaves Marner as the odd man out.
The Maple Leafs need to make a big move, they need change, and that would come forth by trading the ultra talented winger. While many teams will be lining up for his services this summer should he be made available, Marner holds most of the leverage with his full no-movement clause.
A lot of teams in the NHL could use a game-breaking, playmaking, all-situations talent but perhaps none more than the Philadelphia Flyers. Currently in the process of rebuilding, the Flyers were in line to make the post-season for the first time since 2019-20 had it not been for an epic collapse at the end of the season that saw them lose 8 consecutive games and their grasp on the 3rd and final spot in the Metropolitan Division.
Offense has been a persistent problem in Philadelphia and Marner would solve a lot of their issues. For starters, their power play finished dead-last for the third straight season - setting an NHL record - their most potent player on the man advantage led the team with just 11 power play points, and for the 4th time in 5 years their top point producer finished at less than a point-per-game pace.
Would the Flyers be interested in the first place? I think this season proved that they have some good pieces in play but they are still lacking real gamebreaking talent and Marner would fix that problem. However, the cost of acquisition might push them away as the Maple Leafs would more than likely covet Travis Konecny, prospect Oliver Bonk, and/or a first round pick.
Konecny struggled between 2020-21 and 2021-22, scoring just 27 goals and 86 points in 129 games, however he has taken great strides since the arrival of John Tortorella. He has 64 goals and 129 points in 136 games for a team bereft of talent, has averaged 19:58 TOI, has scored 9 shorthanded goals, and has 87 takeaways to 56 giveaways. He has just one year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of 5.5 million and is in line for an extension at the same time as Marner.
Bonk was drafted in the first round of 2023 NHL Entry Draft and currently plays his junior hockey alongside Easton Cowan for the London Knights. He finished the regular season with 24 goals and 67 points in 60 games and has 13 points through 16 post-season games with the Knights a couple games away from the OHL Championships.
There are a lot of barriers at play but it's something to consider with Marner's 10.9 million cap hit currently plaguing the Maple Leafs. Konecny's projected cap hit on his new contract is somewhere between 8-8.5 million, which would still come in at nearly 4 million less than what Marner is looking for in his new deal. All the while bringing in different intangibles that the Maple Leafs currently lack and are always coveting.
| POLL | ||
MAI 13 | 880 ANSWERS Leafs and Flyers make perfect trade partners on a Mitch Marner deal Would you trade Mitch Marner for a package surrounding Travis Konecny? | ||
| Yes, Konecny is exactly what we need | 412 | 46.8 % |
| No, this trade offer isn't nearly enough | 468 | 53.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
