Naturally, players just had their end-of-season media interviews, and it was a a mess. Instead of owning up to their shortcomings, it was a lot of excuse-making, especially from Mitch Marner. He went and compared himself and his teammates to "gods" among us mere mortals.
Now, Marner's entering the final year of his $10.9 million contract this fall, and there's talk that the 26 year-old could be on the chopping block in a major shakeup of the "Core 4," which includes himself, John Tavares, Auston Matthews, and William Nylander. NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman even floated the idea of Marner heading to the Chicago Blackhawks, with defenseman Seth Jones coming back in return.
Now, Jones has been vocal about his frustration with losing, and it's no secret that he's not thrilled with how things are going in Chicago. He's even called out management for not pushing the rebuild along faster. If the Leafs end up with Jones's hefty contract in exchange for Marner, fans might not be too happy. They might even start sharpening their pitchforks to pay a visit to GM Brad Treliving's office.
