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NHL Rumors: Ex-Leafs star Ryan O'Reilly urged Predators to push for Mitch Marner trade
Standout forward Mitch Marner has continued to be put under the microscope in Toronto. With the team failing to meet the expectations of fans following a first-round elimination in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Marner has fielded quite a bit of criticism. His 26 goals and 59 assists marked his lowest since the 2020-21 season, in which he only played 55 games.
While Marner has expressed a desire to stay with Toronto beyond the upcoming 2024-25 season, it's unclear what the future holds. According to a recent report from the Toronto Star's Nick Kypreos, after landing in Nashville, former Leafs center Ryan O'Reilly pushed for the franchise to acquire Marner.
Last summer, O'Reilly signed a four-year deal with the Predators shortly after the start of free agency. In an attempt to help bolster the team's roster, he then reportedly urged Nashville GM Barry Trotz to trade for Marner. As Kypreos wrote:
“Prior to the Predators spending a whack of dough on free agents Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei, ex-Leaf Ryan O’Reilly did his very best to convince GM Barry Trotz to make a push and trade for Mitch Marner.”
Despite that, the deal never came to fruition last summer, or before the 2023-24 NHL Trade Deadline. Given that Marner has a two-year full no-movement clause in his contract, the Leafs wouldn't have been able to execute the deal without his say-so.
Looking at the uncertainty surrounding Mitch Marner's future in Toronto
Mitch Marner is currently set to enter his final year with the Toronto Maple Leafs after eight seasons with the team. Over the past five years, the team has underperformed, making it past the first round once in the past four years.
Although he has dealt with his share of criticism from Toronto fans during his time in the spotlight, Mitch Marner has made no indication that he wants to leave the Maple Leafs.
Prior to the NHL draft last month, Maple Leafs GM Brad Trevling declined to speculate about Mitch Marner's future while speaking with media members following the team's playoff exit. As he explained, Mitch Marner is a star, and the Maple Leafs know it. Despite that:
"We weren't happy how the season ended. That's not Mitch. The focus as a team, we felt we should have gone further than we did. When that happens, you have to look at everything. We're going to try to make ourselves better. But I'm not going to speculate. As we do with any player, we're not going to get into speculation.
"He's a special player. ... What I can't do is (react) every time there are reports out there. I would caution you not to pay attention to the noise. We can't react to the noise. Mitch knows what I feel about him as a player."
From the sounds of things, fans will likely have to wait to see how the offseason and the start of the 2024-25 season play out before the team decides on Marner's future.
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