Mitch Marner’s trade rumors (Image Credit: IMAGN)

Mitch Marner’s future with the Toronto Maple Leafs has become a hot topic of debate lately. The star winger has one year left on his current 6-year, $65.418 million contract.

NHL analyst Stu Grimson shared his thoughts about Marner on NHL Network on Wednesday. Grimson acknowledged that Marner has proven his worth as a valuable contributor in Toronto.

However, with Marner nearing unrestricted free agency, Grimson believes this could be the time for the Leafs to explore moving him.

“I go back two years in time, if the Leafs learned anything, it’s all about performing in the postseason and bringing the Stanley Cup back to Toronto. This group needs a little more sandpaper; they need more grit where their top six is concerned,” Grimson explained.

He pointed to the struggles Toronto had dealing with gritty forwards like Matthew Tkachuk and Tyler Toffoli during their playoff series loss to Florida this past spring.

“The Leafs covet that kind of gritty presence in their top six, someone who can also generate top-end offensive numbers,” Grimson noted.

While not pinning the lack of Cup success solely on Marner, Grimson opined that trading him could allow the Leafs to address that need for more physicality and playoff toughness among their elite forwards.

In Grimson’s view:

“If they do trade him, they’re going to get a haul. This guy is a top-tier player, and there should be a solid, established impact player, along with maybe a mix of assets, picks, and prospects to accompany a Marner trade. It should be a rich return without question.”

Fans react to analyst opinion on trading Mitch Marner

The suggestion by analyst Stu Grimson that the Maple Leafs should trade star winger Mitch Marner has sparked passionate responses from fans on social media.

One skeptical fan tweeted, “Why is this still a thing? The Leafs can decide to trade him all they want but Marner has full control over that.”

This highlights that Marner has a no-trade clause and could veto any potential deal.

Others noted the difficulty of making a trade work, like the fan who commented,

“Has an 11 mil cap hit, that almost no team (that he’d waive for) could take on. He has an expiring contract.”

Here are some other fan reactions:

“NMC there will be no return because a trade can’t happen”. one fan wrote on X.

“only trusted guy in fixed games” another fan wrote.

“Nothing changes while Mitch Marner remains on the team.” a user worte.

“his stats are better then willys and thats all thats matters” another user wrote.

Ultimately, whether Mitch Marner stays with the Leafs or is traded will depend on Marner’s willingness to waive his no-trade clause and the offers that the Leafs receive.