TSN 1050: Darren Dreger on TSN 1050 1st Up on if Mikko Rantanen’s trade raised any eyebrows with Toronto Maple Leafs management regarding pending UFA forward Mitch Marner
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Carlo Coliacovo: “TSN Hockey Insider, Darren Dreger our guest on Leafs breakfast. And why don’t we turn this to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Darren, because a lot of people are connecting the Rantanen decision made by Colorado to the pending decision faced by the Toronto Maple Leafs with Mitch Marner?
Now they are different in that Marner has a full no-trade and Rantanen did not. So the Leafs can’t just go up and trade Mitch Marner, if they even wanted to. That being said, I would imagine, I’m sure you’ve checked in on this, this trade may have raised the eyebrows of Toronto Maple Leafs management. And that, the situation that they’re facing coming up here with Marner isn’t that dissimilar to that of Rantanen.
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Dreger: “Well, it is different, though, as you’ve identified. I mean, Mitch Marher has full protection, you know, he would have to waive. And I would submit, why would he? You know, where his chances better potentially winning a Stanley Cup? I mean, we don’t know that yet, do we?
I mean, you can look at recent history and say, ‘Okay, well, you know, sure, Florida. What about Vegas?’ Well, you know, those teams may or may not be a player of significance leading up to the trade deadline.
So I don’t see it. I really don’t. And here’s, here’s the number one reason why I don’t see it. I think that Toronto very much wants to sign Marner and by all indications, he wants to stay and be a lifelong Toronto Maple Leaf. It’s just the business side is what complicates it most. But I can assure you one thing, if Mitch Marnerr decided today, being Monday, that he wanted to schedule a meeting with Brad Treliving and get the ball rolling. They get the ball rolling immediately to sign him.
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So it, the reason it raises interest, and I’m not talking from Leafs management, I’m talking across the hockey world, is because of the quality of the player. If Elias Patterson had been traded to Carolina, we’re not having the conversation we’re having right now. We’re not. It’s, it’s because it’s Mikko Rantanen a pending unrestricted free agent. There are some similarities, but there’s some pretty significant differences here too.
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