$1.3B franchise eyeing to lure Mitch Marner with Leon Draisaitl-like contract, claims insider

Mitch Marner is about to get paid.

With free agency rapidly approaching and no sign of any progress on a new contract to keep Marner a Toronto Maple Leaf, the superstar winger appears ready to hit the open market.

While Marner and the team's playoff success have tarnished his otherwise tremendous tenure in Toronto, there is no doubt he'll have massive interest from the rest of the league this summer.

Coming off a career-best 102-point (27 goals, 75 assists) season, he is about to become one of the highest-paid players in the league. According to one NHL insider, the Anaheim Ducks, worth $1.3 billion per Forbes, are willing to reach Leon Draisaitl's $14 million average annual salary on a contract offer for Mitch Marner.

James Mirtle wrote a recent article for The Athletic where he dove into the Ducks' interest in Marner. He shared the link to the piece on X (formerly Twitter).

"The Ducks took a jump from 59 points to 80 this past season, and some of their kids (e.g. Leo Carlsson) seemed to figure things out more as the year went on. They appear set in goal with Lukáš Dostál — a restricted free agent who needs a new contract — and have some trade chips at the position (John Gibson). The big question is, what do they do with as much as $25 million in cap space after signing their RFAs?" Mirtle wrote.

"Some of the chatter is that they’ll potentially be the high bidder for Mitch Marner, with an unheard-of average annual value north of the $14 million that the Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl currently makes as the NHL’s highest-paid player," Mirtle added.

Marner is a pending UFA, having just completed the final season of his six-year, $65,408,000 contract extension signed with the Maple Leafs in 2019.

Mitch Marner will have no shortage of suitors as a UFA

While the Anaheim Ducks may be willing to throw a boatload of money at Mitch Marner, that doesn't guarantee them anything.

The 28-year-old is going to have a plethora of teams tossing massive contract offers his way, which should make for a wild bidding war. The Carolina Hurricanes and the LA Kings were two other teams James Mirtle mentioned that will be among the many kicking tires on his services.

Mitch Marner will certainly continue to be the talk of the hockey world in the weeks to come, as we are now just 23 days away from the official start of NHL free agency.