Yes or No: Analyst Tables Huge Maple Leafs and Avalanche Trade

NHL analyst Anson Carter stirred up discussions this past week as he threw out a polarizing trade idea. He suggested a potential blockbuster trade between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Colorado Avalanche, proposing a swap of pending UFA star wingers Mitch Marner and Mikko Rantanen. He believed his trade suggestion, which was made during a TNT broadcast, could address financial and roster concerns for both teams.

It was clear from the responses of other panelists in the segment and from online reactions that not everyone agreed. But does this trade make sense for each side?

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.@AnsonCarterLA just proposed a Marner for Rantanen trade… ? pic.twitter.com/ybDQh6YGh0

— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) November 28, 2024

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Yes or No for the Maple Leafs

Marner has been a key contributor for Toronto with 29 points in 22 games this season, but his reputation for postseason struggles has led to questions about his long-term value. While his $10.9 million cap hit is manageable, he’s going to get a huge raise and the Maple Leafs are said to be trying to find a way not to have his cap hit eclipse Auston Matthews’ $13.25 million salary.

Carter argued you could theoretically pay Rantanen more than Matthews and not stir up a huge issue in Toronto. The problem with Carter’s suggestion is that this trade wouldn’t solve the salary cap problem. Perhaps the Maple Leafs get a better playoff performer and the team gets a bit of a different makeup among their elite forwards, but Rantanen is also expecting a huge payday. He could make upwards of $14 million on his next deal. Optics or not, the Leafs don’t want to pay anyone that much money when so much is already tied up in other forwards.

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Not to mention, giving up Marner, who is highly popular and a consistent regular-season performer, could be a tough pill for Leafs fans to swallow.

Yes or No For the Avalanche

Rantanen has been a beast this season, posting 32 points in 23 games. He’s also a proven producer in the playoffs. However, as Carter points out, with Nathan MacKinnon’s $12.6 million salary, Rantanen might struggle to command his desired $14 million in Colorado. Carter argued there’s an internal cap with MacKinnon and if that’s what holding up an extension with Rantanen, perhaps they could push him over to Toronto, where Carter doesn’t believe the Leafs are willing to pay him what he’s worth.

Marner’s $10.9 million would turn into bigger money in Colorado, where perhaps he can make the same amount as MacKinnon.The potential $1.5 million in savings may also allow the Avs to keep its cap situation more manageable.

That said, swapping Rantanen for Marner could risk losing some of Colorado’s postseason edge.

Final Verdict on Marner for Rantanen Trade Suggestion

On paper, this trade makes some sense from an AAV perspective when it comes to the optics of both players in their respective cities. However, there are some unanswered questions here that assume several things that it’s too early to assume.

By no means is this suggestion a perfect fit or the ideal solution for either club. And, the emotional and on-ice impact of losing a key player like Marner or Rantanen might not justify the swap.

Would you do it?

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