Kampf is a Keefe guy?

Looks serious to me! Interesting contracts…

Marner with Kopitar probably puts up similar numbers to this year around 85. Fiala for his contract is well worth his value.

Also Marner isn’t waiving his NMC to LA, it doesn’t make sense. Kempe, Moore, and Fiala are better value contracts even if they score less points.

I think this is changing soon but when I was working with LA. Bergevin was the closest/most senior advisor to Rob.

He is a big believer in chasing superstars and making big moves to keep a locker room on their toes.

Logically you are correct. I'm not sure if the LA front office will take your approach however. In some ways to them there is inherent value in change. That's why they keep making big moves each summer. I wouldn't expect this summer to be different and Marner is the biggest name just like Fiala and Dubois before him.

LA can want Marner all they want, they neither have the money nor the forward corps to entice Marner to waive his NMC. Unless some team offers Marner $12M he should try to score as many points as possible, look loyal, and like a strong team mate. Staying in Toronto on Matthews wing solves all this without up rooting his life.

I think LA is more interested in Ulllmark, Saros, and Markstrom if they make a big swing. But they really can’t do anything until Byfield is extended.

100%, I know Ullmark is priority #1, Byfield is priority #2.

I think you underestimate the situation in Toronto. If Marner is in the lineup he will get booed every time he touches the puck, he will be harassed in the streets, slandered in the press.

Unless he puts up 100+ points AND contributes significantly in the playoffs his value will be lower this time next year than it is now.

Unless he thinks there is a chance of getting an extension in Toronto or he really loves the city enough to be in a one sided relationship, his best move is to leave Toronto.

Where to is a whole different conversation. Personally I think if LA is offering an extension that he thinks is fair that it's a great option.

I just don't see traditional choices like Vegas, Florida, Tampa being options for him.

But I'm purely speculating. Your points are taken and are definitely well founded.

I feel like similar things were said last year, if Marner goes out and plays his game (puts up 80-100 points), very few fans will boo him. If Leafs management and fanbase scare off a player because they want to threaten a player to leave the team and move their NMC, they make Marner the victim. What are you saying to your core team with NMCs, to free agents, to the coaching staff? How do you not get the players association involved, it would be a black eye for a team who has some needs from the UFA class.

At this point the ball is in Torontos court, they need to open up extension talks before asking him to waive. If they haven’t done this by now, LA will already be burning through the cap space they have in free agency in a few months.

Bottom line if you want to move Marner, you need to make it clear he isn’t signing an extension in Toronto, hard to do that when you haven’t even started the conversation.