Maple Leafs tried to acquire Mason Marchment before Kraken trade
The Toronto Maple Leafs were reportedly trying to have a reunion with the former prospect before he was eventually moved for a couple of draft picks to the Seattle Kraken.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are staying involved in the trade market, looking to solidify some portions of their roster before potentially losing two key free agents. And reportedly, they were trying to get a former prospect from the Dallas Stars.
Before Mason Marchment was eventually traded to the Seattle Kraken for just a third- and fourth-round pick, the Maple Leafs were checking in on what it would take to bring him back to Toronto.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on the latest episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, the Leafs were heavily interested in Marchment and ultimately, were very disappointed they couldn’t land the 29-year-old winger.
While it is disheartening that the Leafs could not get someone who would actually provide both physicality and scoring depth to their lineup — two areas of need that were extremely evident in the most recent playoff failure — it is a good sign that general manager Brad Treliving and the rest of the Toronto front office is looking at every route to improve this team.
The Maple Leafs have over $25 million in cap space with Mitch Marner and John Tavares coming off the books this summer. Tavares could possibly re-sign and realistically leave this team with almost $20 million in cap space to fill out just three forward spots. With Marchment having just one year left on his contract with a slight overpay of $4.5 million, it was a trade that would be more than palatable financially as well.
Last season, Marchment had a strong showing with the Stars, tying his career high with 22 goals and adding 25 assists for a total of 47 points in 62 regular-season games. He also posted a solid +15 plus-minus rating and logged an average of 15:20 ice time per game.
Now, the Maple Leafs will have to turn elsewhere to address their need to add a few forwards this summer.
Some interesting developments are starting to unfold as Mitch Marner and his camp prepare for July 1 and what is expected to be a series of meetings the star winger will have with teams looking to sign him in free agency. One insider is suggesting that some teams aren’t interested in taking the time to ‘play Marner’s game’ and that same insider included the Toronto Maple Leafs as a team that might not even show up to a meeting.
Elliotte Friedman writes in his latest 32 Thoughts column:
“Toronto was offered a meeting, but I’m not sure they’d feel the need to go through with it. I got pushback on the idea Marner could opt for a four-year deal — giving him another payday at age 32 — but a few teams said they’d heard about it. Lots of twists and turns on this file over the next two weeks. Barring a sudden change in philosophy, Carolina is expected to push all chips into the pot. I’m watching Vegas, with several of their Western Conference brethren pushing hard.”
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