leafs laugh at this offer

Leafs passsssssss lmao

Marner who’s stock is lower than ever but will be considered an A player for a B+ player and 6M in cap space is a fair trade. Especially since there’s not many teams that would be enticing for marner to waive to. It’s either this or lose him to free agency…

You have to explain why the Marner in his contract would waive to Ducks in his contract year??
This bit about the Leafs...or any team, needing to trade or an upcoming UFA. Each year each teamsh ave sign about three UFAs, and they don't trade for these players. Each year each team loses about three of own UFAs and don't keep any compensation for them. Marner is no different.

Leave Zebras out of the trade, and Leafs like the trade a lot better. Rather have 11m in free cap, rather than Zebras and just 5m in cap. Or the Leafs do as what is expected....keep Marner as their "own rental" and come summer of 2025, Marner leaves as UFA and the Leafs spend his cap on other player(s)

Marner is too expensive to be a support piece, Ansheims not interested in him.

The cap space is entirely useless, unless a couple of impact UFA Dmen decide that they want to sign in Toronto. I don't think those guys are lining up to sign in Toronto knowing the heat and criticism they will get whenever they perform poorly. If the Leafs are then put in a position where they have to trade Marner to get compliant, I don't think Verbeek is offering Zegras. If Zegras was a defenseman, then maybe something like this could happen if Marner were to waive. The Ducks are far from being a powerhouse though, would probably be at least 2-years and even then they might not be.

Only way the Leafs are letting Marner walk as a UFA by choice is if they can certainly get a big ticket UFA like Draisaitl or maybe Ekblad (his injury history should be a concern) coming back or a couple of star players that they really like (e.g Theodore + Buchnevich, or Chychrun). Chances of them knowing that before hand is slim to none. They could end up with 11M in ufa and the only guys interested in signing with them are mediocre players or good players that they have to overpay significantly.

If the Leafs make a trade with other teams UFAs....well it's the same situation for all teams involved....an expiring UFA contract. I'll disagree that the Leafs with 11m can't find good quality UFAs, even. if they are on short term deals.

Not saying they can't find quality UFAs with 11M, just saying they won't know who is willing to sign with them or not for the most part. Teams don't just let their big-ticket forward UFAs walk by choice based on potential.

At end of 24/25 Marner will have played in 9 seasons and will be 28 years of age. Leafs and team knows what is cap value is, and really doubt they are basing that assumption on "potential", they know what he is. Is Marner going to be any better at age 35? Not saying he is going to hit the wall, but haven't we seen on the Leafs will Tavares and Brodie this season, hitting the wall in their early to mid 30s.
Non playoff contenders trade their upcoming UFA for futures. Playoff/Cup contenders keep their upcoming UFAs and even trade for upcoming for a stronger Cup run. Leafs just have no urgency to trade Marner (though that would be choice) or resign him.

I meant based on the potential of being able to sign other good FAs and still having a competitive team. The Leafs know that Marner is a top-line winger that's a superstar that teams pay big bucks for in free agency. Teams don't willingly let those type players go as own rentals and there's a reason for that. CGY didn't willingly let Gaudreau walk, the Islanders didn't willingly let Tavares walk, and CBJ didn't willingly let Panarin walk. Their teams were willing to pay them a ton of money, as opposed to their defensive counterparts in Pietrangelo and Hamilton who were let go when they didn't sign deals that their team were comfortable with. Although, I think even with Pietrangelo, the Blues expected him to cave.

Leafs and Ducks both pass. ANA doesn’t want a $12M winger who doesn’t play to the team’s style, nor do they wish to trade a solid value contract RFA for an expiring UFA.

TOR isn’t trading their point producer that plays without a physical edge for Zegras, a point producer who plays without a physical edge

I'm kinda confused. Maybe teams don't let players willingly walk, but it's hardly the teams choice is it. It's ultimately the players choice of what 32 NHL teams he wants to play for.
But teams also decide on how to use their cap.
For instance if my wife and I have 100,000 to spend two vehicles......It could be Cadillac and a Corolla. but other choice is an Accord and Camry. What is better value?
It the same with the Leafs,,,,got 14m to spend on two players.....12m for Marner and a 2m Dmen or 7m for a RWer and a 7m Dman

Lol, I misread the last line of the first post that I respond with and thought you were saying that the Leafs purposely lose Marner as an own rental, not that he leaves them. As for your question, which is better value depends on the overall impact that the pairs have with the team. If Marner leaves though, they have no choice but to try making the best of the situation.

Just my opinion, that the Leafs aren't going to resign Marner. Sure they offer him a contract, but Marner can get a better deal elsewhere. So yes in some ways, it's "on purpose", but really it's just spending the cap differently. Sure the Leafs can't replace the Marner production, but players like Knies, Woll, Holmberg need new contracts and have shown they can be long time NHLers. Leafs will be praying the ELC Cowan, MVP in the OHL, can be a good NHLer very soon
One reason I really hated the Leafs awful TDL trades, is they have traded away so many picks that the Leafs haven't had good ELC players playing above their contract. Every year it's the same, trying sign over the hill aging UFA son low salaries

Yeah, that's something that fans should worry about if Marner's 11M comes off the books via free agency. There might be guys like Chychrun or Theodore who are the same age or around, but imagine if they end up signing guys like Brent Burns and Orlov instead except the salaries won't be so low.

Now there are exceptions. But it's really dangerous IMO to sign Dmen long term contracts that take them into mid 30s. Wingers might be have more shelf life, especially "easy skaters". But even centres can hit the wall suddenly. Leaf have seen in Brodie this year....suddenly he isn't NHL capable. And Tavares' decline has been rapid.

Yeah, at least with Brodie and Tavares though it started in the last two years on their contracts (which is pretty standard), but in Brodie's case that's only because he signed a 4-year deal in the first place. Imagine if he had gotten 6 or 7 years instead.

Ducks should stay as far away as possible from Marner. We don’t want that bum