The stay-or-go question for Mitch Marner only picked up steam — if that’s possible — last week when the Maple Leafs star forward was photographed in a Toronto coffee shop talking with new coach Craig Berube.
Was Berube asking him whether he was set on upholding his no-movement clause in the final year of his contract? Was he trying to convince Marner things will be better with a new coach?
No one but those two can answer those questions with any authority, but Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast on Monday that one scenario is gaining traction.
“One of the things a few people told me is not to be surprised if this plays out over next season with Marner in Toronto,” Friedman said. “There’s a lot of time between (now) and then and things can change, but it’s such a delicate conversation between player and team because everyone is determined to look like a winner here.”
Friedman said if the Leafs are to trade Marner, the move must make a major impact — either with assets, or with cap room from the deal to allow the team to complete another significant transaction.
Some members of Leafs management, Friedman said, also could be concerned with a potential Nazem Kadri 2.0 scenario.
Toronto dealt Kadri — like Marner, a former London Knight — to the Colorado Avalanche in 2019 after some playoff disappointments and discipline concerns. Kadri went on to be a key player on a Stanley Cup team in Colorado, while the Leafs remain in search of their first title since 1967.
Marner’s side, meanwhile, is “not going to agree to anything they think puts them in a bad light,” Friedman said. “This is a really complicated thing.”
Friedman says there is some real concern about how Leafs fans will react if Marner starts the season unsigned to a long-term deal. Marner, meanwhile, may see that kind of scenario as betting on himself.
“I think he has all the right in the world to do that, but he has to understand some of the fan base is not going to react very well to that and you have to play through that,” Friedman said. “Are you comfortable with that? Can you handle that? I do believe that’s one of the things that’s been discussed.”
Assistant coach landscape
Friedman says former New York Islanders head coach Lane Lambert is being mentioned as a guy who could be an assistant under Berube in Toronto.
In Ottawa, Friedman confirmed a report from Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that Daniel Alfredsson is expected to return to the team as an assistant under new head coach Travis Green. Former Vancouver Canucks assistant Mike Yeo and Manitoba Moose assistant Nolan Baumgartner and current Senators assistant Ben Sexton could make up the rest of the staff.
Management moves
London Knights GM Mark Hunter, whose team lost in the Memorial Cup final, has been mentioned as a candidate for the Edmonton Oilers’ role with Ken Holland’s contract set to expire. However, Friedman doesn’t think that looks likely right now.
“I wonder if there’s role for him there if he wants it, but less convinced of him as GM there now,” Friedman said.
With the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final and the draft and free agency immediately following the series against the Florida Panthers, Friedman thinks it’s possible the current group will lead the way on those events.
“It’s a very unusual situation because of how close the (Final) is to the draft, and the fact the general manager’s contract is up,” Friedman said.
Meanwhile, the Carolina Hurricanes‘ GM post is open after Don Waddell left and took a leading role with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Friedman said there could end up being a sort-of GM trade as former Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen is being mentioned as a candidate for the Hurricanes’ role.
But Carolina’s hire may not fulfil traditional GM duties.
“One of the things the Hurricanes are making sure of is that everyone’s eyes are wide open about how this is all going to work and that is whoever gets this job is going to be the general manager but not going to have the (usual) power,” Friedman said. “This job is going to be a facilitator who collects information and brings it to other members of the front office … The new GM hire is not going to have the final say.”