Former Kraken HC Dave Hakstol defends Maple Leafs' core four amid Mitch Marner trade speculation

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Jul 12, 2024 20:24 GMT

Former Seattle Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol defended the Toronto Maple Leafs' "core four" of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares amid speculation about Marner's potential trade.

Hakstol, who was hired as an assistant coach by the Leafs in June 2019 and later became the Kraken's head coach in 2021, shared his views during Friday's appearance on the "Leafs Morning Take" podcast, saying:

"I believe when you look at that group, they're under immense pressure in the Toronto market to perform, to win, and ultimately to win a Stanley Cup.

"We all know how difficult that is. It's a group that's under a lot of scrutiny. There's a lot of debate about whether they should be broken up if someone should be traded. These are all great discussions to have, but we also need to understand how challenging it is."

Hakstol was fired as the Kraken coach in late April after the team finished 34-35-13 and missed the playoffs. Kraken general manager Ron Francis cited inconsistency and prolonged losing streaks as reasons for the decision.

"It's never an easy day, it's never an easy decision," Francis said. "We let a guy who's a good coach and a really good person go, and it's not easy.

"...We were a little more inconsistent than we had been, a few too many losing streaks... And so, we just felt it was time to try a new voice here."

Hakstol, named the first coach in Kraken history on June 24, 2021, had a 107-112-27 record over three seasons and was a 2023 finalist for the Jack Adams Award. He has an overall coaching record of 241-213-69 in 523 games with Seattle and the Philadelphia Flyers.

Toronto Maple Leafs star forward Mitch Marner's trade update

The future of Toronto Maple Leafs star forward Mitch Marner is a hot topic this NHL offseason. With one year left on his contract, trade rumors abound, but The Athletic’s Chris Johnston believes a trade is unlikely.

“It’s probably slightly more likely he walks than signs an extension but not significantly so,” Johnston said, “If we were setting the betting lines now the favorite would be (he) walks as a free agent. Then I would say re-sign the next favorite, and then trade three.”

Johnston suggests it's more probable Mitch Marner walks as a free agent than re-signs or gets traded. Marner, 27, earns $10.9M now and may seek a raise.

The Leafs could re-sign Mitch Marner, especially with John Tavares' $11M cap hit ending in 2025. Marner has consistently scored 60+ points since his 2016 rookie year, ranking third in points (85) and fourth in goals (26) this season.