Mitch Marner in Montreal in 2025?
We can always dream, but imagine for a moment the star of the Toronto Leafs, the sworn enemy of the Montreal Canadiens, donning the blue, white, red in the summer of 2025.
At 28, Mitch Marner will become free as a bird, and the prospect of seeing him play for the CH has many fans salivating.
Recently, Chris Johnston, a well-known insider, made a remark that raised more than a few eyebrows.
Reading between the lines of his statement, it seems unlikely that Marner will sign a contract extension with the Leafs.
In fact, with a hint of sarcasm, Johnston suggested that the ideal scenario for the Leafs would be to offer Marner a contract extension right after he wins the Stanley Cup.
“The perfect moment would be after we win the Stanley Cup next June, and you make this announcement.”he said.
But where the problem lies is that the Leafs haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1967.
This curse is well known to hockey fans and raises doubts about the feasibility of such a scenario.
The chances of Toronto achieving such a feat are slim, and that’s where the situation becomes interesting for the Canadiens.
Indeed, if the Leafs fail once again to lift the precious trophy, Marner could well decide to test the free agent market in 2025.
And in this case, why wouldn’t Montreal try its luck to attract this talented right winger?
Kent Hughes, the CH general manager, must already be thinking about this possibility.
An attack consisting of Marner, Demidov, Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovsky, Dach and Laine would be simply terrifying for opposing teams.
However, for this dream to become reality, several factors must come into play.
First, the Leafs will either have to fail to convince Marner to stay or continue to stagnate in their attempts to win the Stanley Cup.
Next, Kent Hughes will have to find a way to free up enough salary cap space to offer Marner a contract that matches his talent.
Marner’s style of play would fit perfectly into the Canadiens’ current roster.
His playmaking ability, vision and offensive talent would be valuable assets to a rebuilding team.
Moreover, at 28, he would still be in full possession of his means, bringing both experience and dynamism to a young and growing team.
Of course, there are still many unknowns in this equation.
The Leafs could surprise everyone and win the Stanley Cup, making all this speculation moot.
Or another team could offer Marner a contract he can’t refuse.
But as long as Marner’s future remains uncertain, it is entirely legitimate for CH fans to dream of a future where one of the biggest stars of their historic rivals could don the blue-white-red jersey.
To be continued…
