In today’s NHL Rumor Mill: burning questions about Mitch Marner’s future in Toronto, Jacob Trouba and Kaapo Kakko’s futures with the Rangers, and Sidney Crosby’s contract extension with the Penguins.
NHL NETWORK: Mitch Marner’s future with the Toronto Maple Leafs was among the five burning offseason questions recently discussed by Jamison Coyle and Mike Rupp.
Rupp doesn’t see the Maple Leafs moving away from Marner this summer. He cited the 27-year-old winger’s play as well as the final year of his contract containing a full no-movement clause. Marner could play out that year and depart next summer as an unrestricted free agent.
Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: We’ve gone from the expectation that Marner could be traded this summer to the reality that he holds all the cards and won’t accept a trade. The narrative has shifted to whether he and the Leafs will agree to a contract extension. However, recent reports suggest the Marner camp intends to let this season unfold and see where they are once it’s over.
A team could emerge this summer that makes a lucrative trade offer that Marner would accept but I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for it. Expect him to be in their opening-night lineup in October.
Jacob Trouba and Kaapo Kakko have featured regularly in this summer’s rumor mill. However, Rupp expects they’ll still be with the New York Rangers when this season begins in October.
Rupp acknowledged the recent trade speculation regarding management’s attempt to move Trouba and the 30-year-old defenseman using his no-movement clause to block the trade. He knows that Trouba is well-liked by his teammates and doesn’t anticipate the attempted trade will be an issue for the blueliner this season. Nevertheless, he wonders what the future holds for Trouba.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trouba now has a 15-team no-trade list but recent reports claim the Rangers have no plans to move him this summer. This season, however, could be his last with the Blueshirts. They could try to move him next summer to shed his $8 million cap hit for 2025-26.
Regarding Kaako, Rupp believes the 23-year-old winger is worth keeping. He expects Kakko is due for a breakout performance, pointing out Alexis Lafreniere’s emergence last season following a difficult 2022-23 which made him the subject of trade rumors.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kakko’s one-year, $2.4 million contract makes him an affordable gamble for Rangers management. If he had that breakout performance, they’d have him on a very cheap deal this season. If he struggles again, it’ll be easier to move to another team willing to take the chance.
Rupp doesn’t think Pittsburgh Penguins fans should be concerned that Sidney Crosby hasn’t signed his contract extension yet. He anticipates the long-time Pittsburgh captain will finish his career as a Penguin.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: On July 8, The Athletic’s Rob Rossi cited sources claiming Crosby and the Penguins were closing in on an extension. It could be a three-year deal worth an average annual value of $10 million.
The superstitious Crosby will probably sign on August 7. That’s his birthday and his jersey number (87). I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve already hammered out the details.