Paul Bissonnette Encourages Toronto Maple Leafs To Spend Big On Mikko Rantanen In The Summer
The Toronto Maple Leafs are shaping up as genuine contenders again in 2024/25, and now NHL personality Paul Bissonnette has pleaded with them to sign Mikko Rantanen.
This season has been a good one thus far for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and with Mitch Marner in career-best form, the team has hopes that they can finally break out and go on a deep Stanley Cup run.
However, that may ultimately not come to fruition, as Marner's game usually falls off a cliff in the post-season, and if that happens again, Spittin' Chiclets podcast host Paul Bissonnette has a suggestion for the team.
"Let's say playoffs didn't go that positive for the Toronto Maple Leafs. And maybe you get this a similar type of performance out of Marner that you saw last year where we can get into the age-old argument, like he wasn't a liability, per se, but he wasn't regular-season Mitch.
And, you know, so if they were to move on from Mitch Marner and not re-sign him, I would go after Rantanen. And I would overpay him to do so. Because then you have a big body, who is going to be a stud player.
And, you know, so if they were to move on from Mitch Marner and not re-sign him, I would go after Rantanen. And I would overpay him to do so. Because then you have a big body, who is going to be a stud player.
Unsurprisingly, his thought process is simple: pay whatever it takes to get Mikko Rantanen, who would be an intriguing fit next to Auston Matthews on the Maple Leafs top line, as he brings the big body and physicality along with the scoring that Marner simply doesn't.
That's a lot easier said than done however, as there is expected to be plenty of interest in Rantanen, who may not even make it to free agency after the Hurricanes made it clear they will push to sign him following the trade.
Even if Marner improves this year in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, overpaying him could be a major mistake for Toronto, and if they can find a way to upgrade to Rantanen, this could be a team that opens up a major Stanley Cup window for themselves.
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