Check out the latest on Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen, Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup,
TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos recently looked at the choices facing the Toronto Maple Leafs with Mitch Marner. The 27-year-old right winger will become an unrestricted free agent next July unless he and the Leafs agree to a new contract.
Kypreos believes they have two clear choices. They can find the money to sign Marner to a long-term extension or use him as though he’s a playoff rental player for the 2025 postseason before letting him depart as a free agent on July 1.
If the Leafs choose the latter option, Kypreos believes they should have a backup plan to replace Marner next summer. Wingers like Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen, Florida’s Sam Bennett or Boston’s Brad Marchand could be available.
Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those wingers probably won’t be available to the Leafs on July 1, leaving them to find lesser-talent, albeit more affordable replacements. Rantanen could cost as much as Marner to sign. The Panthers will likely keep Bennett and Marchand is a Bruin for life just like Patrice Bergeron was.
Speaking of Rantanen, Kypreos reports he and the Avalanche aren’t close to a contract extension. Avs management hopes to get a clearer picture of captain Gabriel Landeskog’s health and future before deciding how much to spend on retaining Rantanen.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nathan MacKinnon’s $12.6 million average annual value is believed to be the Avalanche’s self-imposed cap on individual salaries. If so, Rantanen must accept less than that if he wants to stay in Colorado.
And speaking of Marchand, Kypreos wonders if Bruins president Cam Neely has 25 or 30 million reasons to keep his captain in Boston.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: For those of you who missed it, Neely alluded to Jeremy Swayman having 64 million reasons to be playing for the Bruins during contract negotiations earlier this month. Swayman eventually signed for $66 million.
I don’t know where Kypreos is getting that number for Marchand. Perhaps he’s being facetious.
The Bruins got a bargain with Marchand’s contract ($6.125 million annually since 2017-18). However, he turns 37 in May. His days of signing lucrative long-term contracts are over.
Depending on Marchand’s performance, he could follow Bergeron’s example and sign a one-year, bonus-laden deal that could take him up to $6 million for 2025-26. Otherwise, he could sign a two-year deal worth around $5.5 million annually.
FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting contract talks between the Panthers and Sam Bennett have started. However, there is nothing imminent.
Bennett, 29, is in the final season of a four-year contract with an annual value of $4.425 million.
Friedman also noted the Panthers re-signed Carter Verhaeghe to an eight-year extension earlier this month. He believed Bennett would draw plenty of interest if he hit the open market on July 1.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bennett’s gritty two-way style and ability to play center or either wing has earned him a reputation as a reliable and versatile playoff performer. He’s in line for a significant raise and could seek something similar to Verhaeghe’s $7 million AAV.