Blackhawks rumors: Mitch Marner to be targeted with 'a lot' of money in free agency
03/27/2025 02:52 PM
The Chicago Blackhawks are in the middle of another miserable season. With 51 points out of 72 games, they are already eliminated from the playoffs. Even with Connor Bedard having his best season yet, they have not jumped into playoff competition yet. The organization knows it needs help and has its eyes set on the summer’s biggest name. The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus says that the Blackhawks are ready to pay Mitch Marner a lot of money.
“…there's certainly no guarantee Mitch Marner wants to come to Chicago regardless of how much money [Blackhawks GM Kyle] Davidson throws at him (and he will throw a lot of it at him).”
Marner immediately became the best available free agent once Mikko Rantanen signed with the Dallas Stars. The former fourth-overall pick will be 28 years old with nine years of NHL experience under his belt once he hits free agency. His playoff struggles have been well documented, but in a new environment, he could shine in that spotlight.
The Maple Leafs likely want to keep Marner and there is no indication that the Ontario kid wants to leave. But if he did, there would be very few teams who could throw more money at him than the Blackhawks.
The Blackhawks should spend big in free agency
Before the NHL trade deadline earlier this month, the Blackhawks traded Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers. They cleared $7 million in space with the move and got young goalie Spencer Knight. The $2.5 million difference between those players, the upcoming $7.5 million cap boom, and over $10 million in expiring deals gives them a lot to spend from this summer.
The Blackhawks should make a run at Marner. They need a veteran star for Bedard to play next to and have not been able to find one in his short career. The best linemate Bedard has had so far is Ryan Donato, and Marner is a much better scorer than the Harvard product.
There are other scorers available who would be great fits for the Blackhawks, namely Nikolaj Ehlers, Brock Boeser, and Brock Nelson. But Marner is the biggest name out of that bunch and would create the most hype around the organization. The Blackhawks had a 13-year sellout streak that ended in 2021. Now, they are near the bottom in attendance. Getting a big name to come in and make their franchise face better will get that attendance back up.
Do you think the Blackhawks will sign Marner?
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