It has just been confirmed for Leafs' Mitch Marner and the Chicago Blackhawks
Mitch Marner will hit free agency at the end of his contract in 2025, and teams will make a pitch to acquire him.
The Chicago Blackhawks should be one of the organizations that do so. While he may not be traded as the season progresses, he will exercise his freedom to test free agency in 2025.
If things progress to that point, The Athletic's Mark Lazerus has said the Blackhawks intend to make an offer.
"The fact that Davidson was ready to trade next year's unprotected top pick (almost certainly a top-10 pick) to Columbus for the ability to draft Demidov is as clear a sign as any that the Blackhawks are ready to stop living years in the future. Could they deal away future picks for players? It's possible, but unlikely. Trades like that are rare, and it's not as if they'll be in the rental market at the trade deadline. But perhaps they look for this generation's Brian Campbell and/or Marian Hossa next summer � the player who signals to both the team and its fans that it's time to start taking the Blackhawks seriously again.
With Mitch Marner, Brock Boeser, Nikolaj Ehlers, John Tavares, Shea Theodore and Aaron Ekblad among the players slated for unrestricted free agency next summer, just as players such as Oliver Moore and Levshunov are ready to break into the NHL for good, things could get interesting very quickly," wrote Lazerus in response.
This of course isn't surprising as Kyle Davidson intends to make the team more competitive, as they were linked to him earlier in the year. With Connor Bedard in the lineup and Artyom Levshunv waiting in the wings, contention is the next step.
Marner will likely command a big salary, and with the Blackhawk's cap space being flexible enough to acquire him, they could turn into true contenders, should Marner arrive.
There will be plenty of things that have to happen before free agency happens in 2025, but Chicago will make huge moves either way it sounds like.
Source: Hockey Patrol
Insider reveals which team will push hardest for Mitch Marner in free agency
| POLL | ||
Should the Blackhawks sign Marner in 2025? | ||
| Yes | 66 | 62.3 % |
| No | 40 | 37.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
