How Maple Leafs’ Marner compares to Stars’ Rantanen in contract year

The countless chatter about the polarizing winger’s contract scenario had subsided. However that each one modified final weekend, when Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and others reported that Maple Leafs basic supervisor Brad Treliving approached Marner about waiving his no-movement clause as a part of a possible megadeal with the Carolina Hurricanes for Mikko Rantanen. 

Rantanen will enter subsequent season because the highest-paid winger in the NHL — for now. Marner is in place to eclipse Rantanen’s $12.5 million cap hit because the unquestioned prime free agent accessible this low season in a rising-cap surroundings. 

There are quite a few similarities between the gamers. Each have been top-10 draft picks in 2015 and are top-10 scorers in the league since 2016-17. Rantanen is a extra prolific scorer, averaging roughly 38 targets per 82 video games since changing into a full-time NHL participant. Marner, in the meantime, is a greater playmaker and defensive presence. However their profession scoring averages since 2016-17 — Marner’s 1.13 factors per recreation and Rantanen’s 1.1 factors per recreation — are just about similar.

Marner is having a wonderful contract season. He leads the Maple Leafs with 80 factors, which places him on tempo to crack 100 factors for the primary time in his profession. His 334 slot-driving performs, which embrace passes and puck carries into the slot, are ninth-most in the league. Marner additionally has stepped up when Auston Matthews has missed time this season, recording 10 targets and 22 factors in these 15 video games — 10 of which Toronto gained.

Marner ought to obtain consideration for the Selke Trophy as nicely. No ahead has blocked extra passes (290) than Marner, who additionally ranks tied for fourth in profitable stick checks (87). Of the 65 forwards with at the very least 50 factors this season, Marner is the just one who averages at the very least two minutes of shorthanded ice time per recreation.

“You guys see him on the market. He does all of it,” Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll advised Sportsnet’s Shawn McKenzie after Marner’s shootout winner towards the Utah Hockey Membership on Monday. “He’s nice defensively. He’s nice offensively. He’s a fantastic power man for us as nicely. He’s a particular man, particular participant.”

After all, the most important distinction between Rantanen and Marner is their playoff success. Rantanen gained the Stanley Cup in 2022 with the Colorado Avalanche, and his common of 1.25 factors per recreation in the post-season places him in elite firm. Solely Wayne Gretzky (1.84), Mario Lemieux (1.61), Connor McDavid (1.58), Leon Draisaitl (1.46) and Nathan MacKinnon (1.3) rank increased than Rantanen among the many almost 1,300 gamers who’ve appeared in at the very least 50 playoff video games.

Alternatively, Marner is related to the Core 4’s failures on the game’s largest stage. Not like Rantanen, Marner’s point-per-game common in the playoffs is decrease than his regular-season common, and he has scored six targets in 37 playoff video games courting to 2020. However he has been simply pretty much as good at facilitating offensive alternatives for himself and his teammates in the playoffs regardless of the shortage of outcomes. Maple Leafs followers don’t discover solace in that, although.

Treliving insisted earlier this week that the latest developments should not a distraction, and that the Maple Leafs help Marner “1,000 per cent.” However this situation isn’t going away now that it has resurfaced. 

The Maple Leafs are on the mercy of Marner, who holds all of the leverage in contract negotiations. His play to this point this season has solely elevated his asking worth.

“We’ll proceed to attempt to do enterprise as quietly and behind the scenes and check out to not make an excessive amount of noise right here in Toronto and fear concerning the video games,” Treliving advised Actual Kyper & Bourne after the commerce deadline. “And when it’s time to fear about these issues, we’ll get them addressed.”