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The list of Marner replacements for Toronto Maple Leafs keeps getting thinner

Adam Laskaris
Adam Laskaris
|
Jun 19 2025, 4:13 pm
The list of Marner replacements for Toronto Maple Leafs keeps getting thinner
John E. Sokolowski/Imagn Images

The Toronto Maple Leafs are quickly running out of options to bolster their forward group.

As you may have heard by now, Toronto appears to be losing the top free agent forward on the market, with the departure of Mitch Marner seemingly a foregone conclusion. While Marner hasn’t officially signed a deal elsewhere — and he won’t be eligible to do so until July 1 — recent reports from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggest that he’s completely blackballing the Leafs, and has no interest in even discussing a potential contract framework with the team.

Marner has spent his whole career with the Leafs since being taken fourth overall in the 2015 Draft. He put up a career-high 102 points in the regular season this past year, before following that up with 13 points in 13 playoff games. In 657 career games with the Leafs, he’s put up 221 goals and 520 assists.

But while the Leafs might not have Marner on their roster next year, it appears that many other top free agents have chosen other destinations as well.

Fresh off a Conn Smythe and Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers, Sam Bennett has no interest in heading to Toronto, as reported by Andy Strickland on Wednesday evening.

On Thursday morning, the Dallas Stars themselves announced a four-year deal with Matt Duchene, extending him through 2028-29.

On Wednesday, the Chicago Blackhawks also inked pending free agent Ryan Donato to a four-year deal.

Of the TSN Top 50 free agents board put out last month, that’s three of the top 15 names on the list gone, with Marner himself topping the chart. Add in that Toronto’s own John Tavares is another name on the list (sitting third), and that’s another player who can’t be viewed as a potential replacement for Marner.

With just 12 days until NHL free agency opens, the Leafs’ front office will have to be smart in order to manage their cap space in the wake of the biggest star to leave Toronto in years.

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