Chicago Blackhawks: Offer sheet for Mitch Marner?

It might be in the Chicago Blackhawks best interest to send an offer sheet to Toronto for their superstar winger who needs a lucrative contract.

It came out in the hockey world that Mitch Marner would be willing to visit teams that send over an offer sheet to the Toronto Maple Leafs if Marner and the Leafs cannot agree on a contract extension. Marner is a restricted free agent as of July 1st. This could be something that a team like the Chicago Blackhawks jump on.

A brief description of the coming conflict in Toronto is easily explained — they are in trouble. They have other lower profile contract extensions to do for other restricted free agents like Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson. They also only have about 8 million to play with. They already have some of their high profile players locked up long term. Auston Matthews and John Tavares are each under contract for 11 million or more each and they also have William Nylander locked up at 6.9 million.

While these are all very nice players to have locked up, there isn’t much room for Marner. He is thinking he can get 10-11 million as well and as things are currently constructed they simply cannot do that. That might be where the Blackhawks come in.

They can send an offer sheet for Marner and the Toronto Maple Leafs would either have to match the offer sheet or forfeit Marner and receive draft picks instead. The draft pick return depends on how much money the offer sheet is for. If it is somewhere between $8,118,642 to $10,148,302 it is two first round picks, a second round pick, and a third-round pick and if it is over $10,148,302 then it is simply four first-round picks. It would certainly be in one of those two ranges.

Is Marner worth that type of compensation? That will surely spark a debate. It ultimately depends on how you see the Blackhawks draft going, their defensive prospects, and if those lost first round picks would be in the mid to late 20s or maybe even 30s. Marner is an elite player and very young so you would think he would instantly make better in the short and long term.

In 2018-19 he had 26 goals and 68 assists for 94 points in 82 games for the Leafs. That is elite production and you simply do not find that often. This isn’t a piece to persuade anyone on whether or not the Blackhawks should attempt it, it is to inform you that the option is on the table. Lots of teams will consider it and Marner and his camp are apparently open to it. It is a lot to give up but if there was a player to do it for, the 22-year-old might be the one.

There are other ways that the Blackhawks could take advantage of the issues Toronto currently faces, but Marner would be the best option if they can decide that the offer sheet compensation is worth it. To maximize the second half of the latter half of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews careers, this might be the risk to take. If you draft Bowen Byram, added Marner, and a few of the defense prospects pan out, this could be what gets the Blackhawks back in the playoffs and then you never know what happens.