There is still plenty of hockey for the Carolina Hurricanes to play after dropping Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Panthers on Tuesday night. However, the season will eventually come to an end over the next few weeks, marking the start of the offseason and free agency. With July 1st not too far away, there are several questions surrounding this year's biggest fish.
Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner is projected to be the top unrestricted free agent in this year's class, assuming he makes it to July 1st without being re-signed. Daily Faceoff projects Marner's next contract to be an eight-year deal worth close to $13 million per year, though it's likely someone opts to give him even more.
Marner is coming off a career year, notching his first 100-point campaign. His 102 points were 5th in the NHL, and his career-high 75 assists were 3rd. He's well over a point-per-game player, scoring 741 points in 657 games, all with Toronto. Along with being an excellent scorer, Marner is a strong two-way winger, nominated for the Selke two seasons ago.
Most of Marner's detractors will point to his struggles in the postseason, especially in Games 5 through 7. In 20 games at the back end of a series, Marner has just seven assists. It has become a yearly occurrence as Toronto's postseason struggles continue. Maybe it's the pressures of playing in Toronto. Maybe it isn't. Regardless, it doesn't look pretty.
Carolina is the perfect place for Marner to sign
A potential Mitch Marner signing could be beneficial for all parties involved. For starters, the Hurricanes have the cap space to get a deal done. They have over $29 million in space to make a major splash. There are 11 forwards under contract for next season, but there's no guarantee all 11 will make it to Opening Night without a few moves being made.
Signing Marner would fill a need the Hurricanes have lacked, which is a bonafide game-changing winger. Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis have shown glimpses of it, but Marner has done it consistently during his career, especially in the regular season. Giving Sebastian Aho a skilled winger like Marner could do wonders for his numbers, though we thought the same of Mikko Rantanen.
Speaking of Rantanen, the Hurricanes tried to swap superstar forwards with Toronto at the trade deadline. The Canes wanted to send Rantanen north of the border and get Marner in return. Marner refused to waive his no-trade clause to approve a potential swap before the Hurricanes opted to trade Rantanen to the Stars.
There has long been the narrative that playing in Toronto is too much pressure for some players. While many are quick to deny it, there must be some amount of truth in the sentiment. Toronto's Core 4 is always placed under a microscope, especially when the Maple Leafs continue to fail in the postseason.
That pressure doesn't completely melt away once you leave Toronto. There will always be pressure from the fans and the media to perform, regardless of the location. As much as I love the Triangle and all of the Caniacs, there's a stark difference between playing in Toronto and Raleigh. Marner's game will always face scrutiny, but it wouldn't be nearly as bad with the Hurricanes.
If there's one hang up I have, it's potentially signing him for that large an amount for that long. Marner turned 28 this month, so a long-term deal would, potentially, sign him through his age-35 or 36 season. You can never project how things will work out. That's part of the risk of signing free agents. Given how calculated Eric Tulsky is, this isn't a move he would make lightly.
If the Hurricanes fall short in the Eastern Conference Finals, this feels like a move they need to pull the trigger on. Marner could thrive in this system, being used in all situations. He could provide something the Hurricanes have rarely had in the franchise's history. There will be plenty of suitors for Mitch Marner this offseason. I expect the Canes to be among the most aggressive.