It’s time for another round of NHL rumours. We’re closing in on the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, the chatter has already ramped up on the upcoming off-season. July 1 is the start of the free agency period and general managers could be getting things ready. We’ve seen some big-ticket players already locked up. However, there are still a number of major free agents looking to score massive deals. One team that could splash some money around is the Chicago Blackhawks. This edition of NHL rumours deals with an Eastern Conference standout that could be on their radar.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Chicago Blackhawks Could Make Play for Toronto Maple Leafs Standout
Rumour: Mark Lazerus of The Athletic and took a look at what the Blackhawks may do in the coming off-season. One point he talked about was taking a run at Toronto Maple Leafs standout Mitch Marner.
Analysis: This year has been another lost season in the Windy City. Chicago General Manager Kyle Davidson made some swings and signed some veteran players to help Connor Bedard. However, the Blackhawks are in the mix to draft very high in the upcoming NHL Draft.
There has been some good news with the development of Frank Nazar into a top-six option. Ryan Donato seems to have found a home after bouncing around the league for the early part of his career. However, the rest of the team has struggled to provide offence for a group still trying to find its way.
The Blackhawks have a number of promising prospects that have plenty of upside. However, these players need time to develop and that could waste some of Bedard’s quality seasons. This means that Davidson might have to take some swings at giving Bedard some help.
What It Means
Talk of getting Bedard some running mates now brings Marner into the equation. The Maple Leafs forward will be a highly-coveted target this off-season. Marner is currently making $10.903 million per season, but he’s an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
The 27-year-old forward is going to seek a massive raise with the salary cap projected to jump up in the next few seasons. Chicago has plenty of space available at the end deadline many think Davidson will throw a bunch of money at Marner. The Blackhawks could make Marner one of the focal points of the offence and a building block for the team.
However, Marner could spurn them and go to a contending team. The dollar amount might not be enough for Marner to come to Chicago. He will get a nice payday, but having to suffer through a few seasons of a rebuild may be a turn off.
The Hawks also have to budget for Bedard’s impending extension and a new deal for Donato. Younger players Nazar and others will need to have their deals taken care of. Davidson can give Marner a ton of money, but one always has to plan for the future.
Main photo by: David Banks-Imagn Images
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