Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman on the Mitch Marner situation in Toronto, what happened with the Carolina Hurricanes and how things could play out.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Ron MacLean: “Mitchell Marner.”
Friedman: “Yes, so, so we all know about now Rantanen in this in Dallas and Toronto was definitely in there. You know, Nick reported, yes. Nick Kypreos reported yesterday that Toronto had an offer there, Fraser Minten, Easton Cowan, and two first-rounders for Rantanen. Contingent in him signing with the Maple Leafs.
But the Hurricanes didn’t like that deal as much as the one they got from Dallas. They weren’t going to do it. They liked Logan Stankovan better, especially as someone who’s in the NHL now.
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But from the beginning, when the Maple Leafs and the Hurricanes first engaged, the Hurricanes target was Mitch Marner. They wanted him, and they wanted to trade Rantanen for him. And the Maple Leafs approached Marner. They said, Look, we have to bring this to you, because it’s, it’s Rantanen, and you know, we still want to sign you. That’s our number one choice, but we’re being offered Rantanen for you.
And Marner, of course, has a no-move clause. It’s perfectly within his right, and he said, ‘No, I still want to sign with the Maple Leafs, and it’s my number one choice, and I don’t want to take a trade.’
And this was some players said to me today, everything that happened with Rantanen, and they think more and more players might be careful about accepting trades in season.
And so, you know, the thing is, I think everybody handled this really professionally. The Hurricanes made the request. The Maple Leafs made the ask. Marner made his decision.
You know, one of the things he talked about in the aftermath of the Four Nations, Ron, was how positive everything was. Like Crosby, no matter what happens, be positive. Look at the way he’s come out tonight and played, but it’s within his right to say no, and he did.”
MacLean: “Are we to take that he’s going to sign for sure.”
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Friedman: “I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t take it. He has said that he wants to play out the year and let it go. And as far as I know, that’s still his situation.”
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