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Mitch Marner struggled in the latter part of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, as the Toronto Maple Leafs fell in seven games to the defending champion Florida Panthers. The star right winger, in what could be his last run with the franchise that drafted him a decade ago, lumbers into the offseason. It won't be long before he gains a pep in his step, however.
The 28-year-old will enter free agency and command one of the biggest NHL contracts of the summer. Despite his occasional playoff struggles, Marner helped the Leafs get to the point where they became postseason mainstays. There are some moribund teams that yearn for high-stakes hockey after an extended stay in the doldrums.
And if that franchise is willing to pay a substantial amount of money for the prospect of brighter days, it may just land the multi-time All-Star. The Anaheim Ducks proved how serious they are about leaping back into relevance when they hired the controversial yet legendary Joel Quenneville to be their new head coach. Now, they might have the urge to go on a big summer shopping spree.
Will Ducks pull the trigger on Mitch Marner?
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The front office has the means to make some noise if it so chooses. “Several folks pointed to Anaheim and {general manager} Pat Verbeek wanting to make a big move or two to finally push the young club forward after seven consecutive years out of the playoffs,” James Mirtle of The Athletic reported.
“Some of the chatter is that they’ll potentially be the high bidder for Mitch Marner, with an unheard-of average annual value north of the $14 million that the Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl currently makes as the NHL’s highest-paid player.”
The Ducks and their fans are suffering through a franchise-record playoffs drought. It is plausible that they would be willing to shell out a historic contract to end the ongoing failures. People will understandably fret over the idea of backing up the Brink's truck for someone who has a tendency to underwhelm in big games, but Anaheim residents have not sniffed a postseason game since 2018. The team cannot pursue The Cup without first gaining entry to the party.
A player who has four straight 90-plus-point seasons under his belt can help the Ducks barge their way through the door. Ambition and desperation could very well reign supreme in the upcoming Marner sweepstakes.
