Former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke thinks the organization ought to trade William Nylander rather than Mitch Marner.
Trade whispers had been swirling around Marner ever since the Boston Bruins had ousted the Maple Leafs from the playoffs. Burke, who was Toronto’s general manager from 2008 to 2013, feels that Marner is a more valuable talent and that the Maple Leafs should trade Nylander instead of Marner.
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You can certainly dispute the rationality of all that when there are no swaps or transfers, but in this particular scenario, you will actually need to persuade one of these individuals to go. Though I’ve stated it before, I believe Mitch Marner could be the natural choice to transfer instead of Willie Nylander. Burke stated on The Leafs Nation on July 3 that “if you are going to talk one of them into leaving, it’s not popular, people aren’t going to like it but they are going to get it.”
“Mitch Marner is a terrific youngster and a vital member on the squad, in my opinion. He kills penalties, and I know that some people are against him right now. Burke went on, “They are both excellent players; in my opinion, Mitch Marner is a far more useful player.
Marner, who will earn $10.9 million a season, is about to enter the final year of a seven-year $65.4 million contract. Nylander, meanwhile, inked an eight-year, $92 million contract with the Maple Leafs on January 8 and will soon begin his first season.
Due to their no-movement clauses, Marner and Nylander cannot be dealt even if they both desire to. However, Burke believes the Maple Leafs should attempt to trade for Nylander if both are willing to be waived.
Burke Dislikes the Core Four of the Maple Leafs
The core four of the Maple Leafs—Marner, Nylander, John Tavares, and Auston Matthews—have been the foundation of their squad.
Burke believes that every player has a similar skill set and will earn more than $10 million the next season. Burke believes that instead of spending their money on four talented forwards, Toronto should have invested it in goalies and defense.
“When they signed Nylander for the first time and formed the big four, I said at the time that this model would not succeed. I immediately stated, “This is a mistake,” and I still stand by my statement from that day. I have since been vocal about it. Even with a $5 million cap increase, I don’t think a cap model would work for me because no other team has four forwards or four forwards with equal skill levels locked up. “I believe they still need to find a solution,” Burke remarked.
Burke concurs that it’s time to move on, echoing the Maple Leafs supporters’ common opinion of blowing up the core four.
Marner would like to remain in Toronto
Marner made no secret of his intention to remain in Toronto and sign a contract extension with the Maple Leafs following their elimination in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
That was Marner’s statement on May 6. “I’ve said how much I adore this city and this place. I have, of course, grown up here. We’ll get to work on that right away and try to come up with a solution.
Toronto selected Marner fourth overall in the 2015 NHL draft. He has participated in 576 games throughout the regular season, scoring 639 points with 194 goals and 445 assists. In 69 games during the previous campaign, Marner totaled 85 points with 26 goals and 59 assists.
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