A bevy of clubs will be lined up in the Mitch Marner sweepstakes, which will officially kick off in the afternoon of July 1.
The longtime Toronto Maple Leafs forward is set to become one of the most highly-coveted free agents in recent memory, and by most conservative estimations, his time with the only franchise that he’s played for so far in his career could be coming to an end.
While analysts continue to debate on where exactly the best fit for Marner will be for the next several years and what kind of dollar figure he can expect, one NHL Insider believes that he shouldn’t be earning more than another high-profile NHL star that recently signed a major extension.
Should Mitch Marner Earn More Than Leon Draisaitl?
Dave McCarthy, who is an NHL correspondent for the Maple Leafs in Toronto and a contributor to Sirius XM NHL Radio, stated on his personal social media account that any club willing to give him a higher cap hit than the $14 million annually that Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl recently signed for is “insane“.
“Some of the reports floating around today are wild to me. I think Mitch Marner is a great player. Can absolutely be a tremendous asset to a good team if slotted appropriately within the cap structure and lineup. But if a team pays him more than Leon Draisaitl, they are insane.”
Draisaitl, who is playing in the Stanley Cup Final for a second consecutive season with the Oilers and also led all NHL players in goals with 55 during the regular season campaign, agreed to a whopping eight-year, $112 million extension to remain in Edmonton.
The $112 million dollar figure is the second-richest contract in NHL history behind only that of the $124 million contract signed by Washington Capitals team captain Alex Ovechkin. However, Draisaitl’s $14 million cap hit is the largest in NHL history.
Some of the reports floating around today are wild to me.
I think Mitch Marner is a great player. Can absolutely be a tremendous asset to a good team if slotted appropriately within the cap structure and lineup.
But if a team pays him more than Leon Draisaitl, they are insane.
— Dave McCarthy (@DaveAMcCarthy) June 9, 2025
Marner has been linked to several clubs who could potentially match the contract extension that Draisaitl received with the Oilers. One club that he’s been linked to is the Anaheim Ducks, who recently hired former Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville to lead the way for them moving forward.
Another team he’s been linked to is the Vegas Golden Knights, along with the Los Angeles Kings.
Either way, it appears more and more to be a foregone conclusion that Marner will no longer play for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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