The Toronto Maple Leafs Nearly Got Involved in the Mikko Rantanen Trade, per Frank Seravalli
The insider Frank Seravalli revealed that the Toronto Maple Leafs nearly got involved in the trade sending Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Mikko Rantanen was traded from the Colorado Avalanche to the Carolina Hurricanes last week, and further details about the process are slowly coming to light.
In a new development, we learned that one of the top Eastern Conference teams almost got involved in the trade: the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving has many interesting assets that could be dealt with ahead of the trade deadline, but perhaps none bigger than Mitch Marner.
The contract negotiations haven't led to anything yet, and with five weeks to go before the deadline, the safest route is evident: if they can't sign him to an extension, trading him would avoid risking losing him for nothing in return when the free agents market opens.
President of Hockey Operations Brendan Shanahan has been clear when he stated that Marner is a key player for the Leafs: he'd rather keep him than trade him.
This is what he stated earlier this season:
"I've learned you don't comment on any of that type of stuff other than to just say he's playing great hockey. He's been a great player for us for a long time.
Any time you've got a guy that is that creative offensively, and also not just one of your team's best defensive players, but one of the league's best defensive players; not surprised how he's playing and we're just happy with the way he's playing and I'll leave it at that."
Any time you've got a guy that is that creative offensively, and also not just one of your team's best defensive players, but one of the league's best defensive players; not surprised how he's playing and we're just happy with the way he's playing and I'll leave it at that."
However, it seems the Leafs are open to anything, as they listened to the Carolina Hurricanes when they inquired about him.
Frank Seravalli was the one to shed light on the matter:
"I believe that the Carolina Hurricanes at least inquired about Mitch Marner as they were going through this process with Mikko Rantanen. I don't know how far they got, I don't know if it's a possibility that maybe they were not a team that Marner would go to."
MUST READ
TRENDING NOW
