Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,132
Likes: 1,540
I think you're spot on with your reasoning. Specifically this, "If Marner wants more than 10.5, which personally I see as unlikely, but possible... He's gotta go. Simply can not afford to pay another guy 10.5+. It sucks but it's reality." It does suck, but its something the leafs might need to deal with.
If it comes to that I think it'll be interesting to see how other teams value Marner. Yeah, he is an incredibly dynamic and entertaining player to watch. But is he 10M + worth of impact on the ice in a cap world? Keep in mind that he scored 19, 22 and 26 goals in his three years in the league. Of course, he's put up a bunch of assists, but he did that this year with JT as his center.
If Marner gets traded I think alot of us leaf fans might be surprised with what we get back. Is the Marner = 12M narrative and the risk of teams giving 4 1st just to sign him to 10.5M + reflective of his true value to a hockey club? Or is that just the narrative that the media is spinning. I think it will be interesting to see how that plays out if it comes to a trade..