NHL Rumors: Insider names 'ruthless' $1.85B franchise as team to look out for in Mitch Marner sweepstakes

Mitch Marner may be leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs. He did not clearly say he wants to stay. When asked about it, he said he loved Toronto but gave no direct answer. This has led to more questions about his future.

TSN insider Darren Dreger mentioned one team to watch closely, the Vegas Golden Knights.

On Wednesday's episode of TSN's OverDrive, Dreger said,

"I'm thinking the Marner wants to also win in the process. And the team I keep coming back to is the Vegas Golden Knights, and they are going to, if they're going to be a big game hunter in the Marner sweepstakes, they've gotta move money, that's pretty obvious.

"But there's a team, an ownership, a management, their priority is one thing every single year, and that's to win the Stanley Cup. They can be ruthless and just downright dirty at times in an effort to get there."

The Golden Knights are a strong and well-run team. The franchise is now worth about $1.85 billion, according to Forbes.

If they want Marner, they will need to clear salary cap space. Dreger said that's the obvious step they must take. But Vegas has done this before and could do it again. Their management often finds a way to make big trades or signings work.

Mitch Marner could be the top free agent this summer. He is one of the league’s best playmakers. Teams across the NHL will want him. But if winning is his goal, Vegas might be his best option.

Insider says Mitch Marner could be NHL’s highest-paid player, but not in Toronto

Mitch Marner has not said if he will stay with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He becomes a free agent on July 1. On Wednesday's episode of the "First Up" podcast, analyst Carlo Colaiacovo said,

"I say what Mitch Marner wants, what does he want? Does he want to be the highest paid player in the NHL? Because he can do that. Does he want to get paid a nice, handsome raise in his next contract? Yeah, I think he will."

But staying in Toronto may not allow that. The team has $26.8 million in cap space. Colaiacovo added that it’s hard to be on a winning team while being the highest-paid player.

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Mitch Marner's future now depends on what he wants most.

About the author

Ankit is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with over 3 years of experience in the writing industry. He has expertise in sports, product, and travel content writing. His interest in ice hockey was piqued after watching Sidney Crosby play and he has been passionately following the game since then. Ankit admires Crosby’s personality and hockey IQ, and when he crossed the 1,500 points tally, Ankit was among the biggest fans to celebrate the occasion.

An Edmonton Oilers fan because of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Ankit also admires the Pittsburgh Penguins due to Crosby and the Colorado Avalanche for Nathan MacKinnon. He is also a fan of Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr.

Holding a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Language, Ankit believes his education has helped him develop a knack for presenting information in a precise and compelling manner. He only sources information from credible avenues and trusted people from his network for his articles.

When he is not watching or writing about the NHL, Ankit loves listening to music and reading books.

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Edited by Ribin Peter