In the early stages of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Toronto Maple Leafs have played well, taking a commanding 2-0 lead against the Ottawa Senators before heading to Ottawa on Thursday night.
For a Maple Leafs team that’s clearly good enough to win a Stanley Cup if things break their way, it could sway Mitch Marner’s decision in the offseason. The star right wing is expected to land a franchise record deal after posting 100-plus points in the regular season.
However, there are still many free agency rumors about him, including the latest with the Pittsburgh Penguins. In a prediction from Bleacher Report’s Joe Yerdon, he predicted that Marner could end up with the Penguins, despite citing that the team isn’t headed in the right direction.
“There’s no doubt there will be some changes to the roster in Pittsburgh, but with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang not getting any younger, it’s in need of someone to help bridge the gap between now and what’s to come. Marner makes a lot of sense in that respect.
“The hangup for Marner here is that the Penguins are headed in the wrong direction. It looks like they’ll miss the playoffs for the third straight year and are in need of a bit of a rebuild as their stars continue to age,” he wrote.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
The Penguins, similar to the Maple Leafs, are one of the marquee organizations in the NHL.
If Marner believes that he’d find success in Pittsburgh, and the team puts together a decent supporting cast around him, it could make some sense. However, if the Maple Leafs just give him the money he wants, that could end all talks.
They’re also set up for long-term success, giving him the best of both worlds.
