Quoting: GeauxPreds1
I know I wouldn’t want to add too much more to saros from this pred fans. Marner may be elite but he also comes with a big price tag. And getting rid of that contract helps Toronto fill more needs on the defense. If they could Marner into saros and say pesce then I think they have a better all around team. I’m hesitant on Marner because will he be able to produce without an elite center
The thing is that Marner would be traded after he's paid his bonus on July 1st, so there is the chance that a lot of the FAs are gone if they can't get a deal finalized quickly. I do think they would work on a framework for a deal beforehand, but I imagine NSH would want to know Marner's expectation for salary as well. Teams can go up to 10% over the cap and the Leafs do have 18.5M cap to work with, so maybe they stall with their own FAs and sign a couple of big names to extend that time. So, with the assumption that the Leafs could take advantage of the cap space and it's Saros getting dealt, I think the cost on top would be minimal like Tomasino (former 1st) and a 2nd or 3rd, possibly other stuff added n the Leafs side.
Marner produced as a rookie with Bozak and JVR and he didn't have an elite center in his 2nd either, 3rd year he got Tavares, but you can see how Tavares benefited as well in the following year reaching a career high in goals. So, the question isn't whether he can produce without an elite C, it's how much will his production potentially drop and if he can produce with the guys NSH has. Almost everyone's totals in NSH over the years have been low for forwards, with the exception of Forsberg but his production is all over. When Duchene came his totals plummeted for example. However, I don't think Trotz is too concerned about that because of Marner's 2-way game. That being said he's probably still looking for a bargain.
If NSH is keeping Saros, then maybe a 3-way trade between the Flames, Leafs, and Preds could be worked out with the futures that Just_A_Guess suggested, personally I think Askarov would be on the table as well but I don't think the Flames or Leafs would want him anyways.
Flames: A ton of futures (mostly from NSH) + Liljegren/Fabbro
Preds: Marner + pick/prospect
Leafs: Markstrom + Andersson + a pick/prospect