Jack Eichel-like trade brewing for Mitch Marner in Toronto?!

There is an overwhelming feeling in Toronto that a Mitch Marner trade makes sense for the Maple Leafs, and ever since the speculation emerged, more and more trade scenarios have surfaced as well. Sportsnet’s Luxe Fox points to the recent trade that sent Jack Eichel from the Buffalo Sabres to the Vegas Golden Knights as a potential comparable to move Marner despite his expensive salary cap hit ($10.9 million annually). However, with the 27-year-old forward set to become an unrestricted free agent next July, the Leafs simply cannot lose him for nothing.

If you remember the Eichel trade to Sin City, it saw the Golden Knights acquiring the disgruntled forward and a third round pick to Vegas for Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, a first-round pick (Noah Ostlund), and a second-round pick (subsequently traded for Jordan Greenway).

While Fox doubts GM Brad Treliving can win a Marner trade or even get close to a return that Eichel got Buffalo, he does not completely shuts down the possibility of seeing the winger on the move, adding that the general manager “could properly disperse his dollars in a manner for fitting to team success.” On top of the Eichel trade, there was more recently the Pittsburgh Penguins acquiring defenseman Erik Karlsson under similar circumstances.

However, Fox believes Treliving could face some tough criticism, especially in Toronto.

“Should the general manager reallot his cap space in a blockbuster of that magnitude, he risks the same criticism then-Oilers exec Peter Chiarelli received when he traded future Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall to the Devils for top-four defenceman Adam Larsson.”

Fox still suggests Treliving gives it a go, though Marner’s contract could adversely affect the type of return the Leafs might get. However, there is another important factor to consider, according to Fox, in which it needs to be determined how much Marner truly loves playing in Toronto.

“That, we don’t know,” writes Fox.

And so, we do know how much Marner wants to stay a Maple Leaf, what Toronto could get in return, and if Treliving will get a positive response from the potential trade…

Sounds like risky business to me!

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