New Jersey Devils: Mitch Marner From A Pure Hockey Perspective
The New Jersey Devils have been linked to a bunch of different players and there are always pros and cons, so what about #16 from Toronto?
The New Jersey Devils have been linked to many different players this offseason. None are bigger than Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner. He is a restricted free agent looking for a lucrative deal. He is currently in danger of not playing in the NHL this season because he isn’t signed and training camp will be here before you know it. Just look at how things went for his teammate William Nylander last season.
The thing is, it would be hard to acquire Marner. He is likely looking for a deal in the range of $10.5-12 million and might play for anyone who freely gives him that. The problem is he is restricted so the Leafs have a bit of control of the situation. A team can send the Maple Leafs and Marner an offer sheet and if Marner signs it the Maple Leafs would either have to match it or let him go to said team.
It isn’t done there though. If the offer sheet is signed by the player and not matched by the team, the team that sends the offer sheet will owe a plethora of draft picks to the team that loses the player. The compensation depends on the contract given, so Marner’s cost (anywhere from $10.5 to $12 million, likely) would be four 1st-round picks. That is a lot of quality picks to give up for one player.
So, with all of those things in mind, is this a good idea for the New Jersey Devils? This is looking at this from a pure hockey point of view. No contracts, offer sheets, or trades will impact the thoughts here, Just simply hockey.
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Marner is an elite play-making winger in the NHL. Last season, he had 26 goals and 68 assists for 94 points. This is outstanding production for a 22 year old. People like to think that John Tavares is the sole reason that he jumped from 69 points to 94 points in one season.
He might be a part of it, but there is also a reason that John Tavares had a career high in points once he started playing with Marner. They fed off each other, it takes great players to play with great players. Tavares had never had more than 38 goals with the New York Islanders and once he got to Marner his career high jumped to 47. It works both ways.
If the Devils were to somehow acquire Marner, it’s not like he would come to New Jersey and play with bums his whole career either. Is it fair to hope that Jack Hughes will be as good if not better than Tavares someday? That’s why he went first overall. If Hughes reaches his potential, then a line with him and Marner could be so dangerous. Marner has elite vision, hockey sense, awesome passing abilities, and can shoot when need be.
He is a rare breed of winger that drives offense like a center. Patrick Kane, Taylor Hall, and Johnny Gaudreau are some examples of other wingers who can also do that. Again, this is ignoring anything other than hockey when discussing Marner to the Devils, and it would certainly be a great fit and so much fun to watch. The things that a quick line with Hughes and Marner could do would be on highlight reels weekly.
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Maybe they would even consider putting Marner with Nico Hischier so he could reach his offensive potential while being so solid in his two-way game. Marner is no slouch defensively. He probably isn’t ever going to be winning a Selke Trophy, but he does kill penalties, so that says something about his abilities. Either way, if you take the business side of it out of the equation and just look at it from a pure hockey standpoint, Marner would be a phenomenal addition to the New Jersey Devils.