This summer, there was a lot of talk about Mitch Marner’s future. The forward, who is in the final year of his contract, was in the (very) bad graces of the fans after the club’s elimination in the spring.
Rumors had him being traded all over the NHL… only to end up staying in Toronto.
That said, just because he’s still with the Leafs that he is definitely here to stay. He does not have a contract extension in his pocket, and he refuses questions from journalists related to his contractual situation.
In short, there is a world in which Marner leaves Toronto on July 1st…and there is also a world in which the Leafs use that money to improve other aspects of their team.
And today, in the first episode of the podcast Radar (BPM Sports), Pierre LeBrun mentioned a scenario in which the money could be used to sign… Igor Shesterkin:
If the Leafs lose again in the first round, Igor Shesterkin is on the market and Mitch Marner has not yet signed… – Pierre LeBrun
Obviously, we are in a very hypothetical case here. We know that at this point, the Rangers are ready to pay more than $10.5 million per year to keep Shesterkin’s services… but we also know that at this point, there is no agreement between the two clans despite everything.
And the goalkeeper wants it to be settled before the start of the season, he who does not want to negotiate during the regular season.
In the scenario mentioned by LeBrun, we agree that the Leafs would need to make a big move. Freeing up Mitch Marner’s money (and John Tavares, who could re-sign for less) would provide some breathing room, and if Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz don’t get the job done, the netminder problem will persist.
That’s where the idea of paying top dollar for Shesterkin, who is arguably the best goalie in the NHL (especially in the playoffs), could be enticing to Toronto.
We are still far from such a scenario, but it is far from impossible to imagine a world in which it would come true. The Leafs would have to pay a lot of money for a goalie like Shesterkin… but the club has already shown it’s not afraid to pay a lot of money for top-tier players. And with Shesterkin, that money would be better distributed across the various positions.
In a burst
– I adore.
– Samuel Montembeault dreamed of making saves à la Carey Price.
– Classics.
– Bradly Nadeau is very talented… but that seems a bit hasty to me.
– Oh yes?
