Montreal Canadiens should sign Mitch Marner to an offer sheet

The Montreal Canadiens want to make a huge splash this summer. They should bring chaos to an already heated rivalry by signing Mitch Marner to an offer sheet

Just the other day, for the first time since 2013, an offer sheet was tendered to a restricted free agent. The Montreal Canadiens sent one to Carolina Hurricanes star center Sebastian Aho for five years at $42.25 million. Not unreasonable, but apparently easily enough matched by Carolina, who began to publicly troll the effort before announcing their intent to match it today.

So now that that’s settled, the chips are back on the table for Montreal to make another move. The money they would have sent to Aho is back under their control. Now, the Canadiens have to find a new purpose for that money. Luckily, they don’t have to look far.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are at a crossroads with their young star Mitch Marner. After reportedly turning down a whopper of an eight-year contract, along with some back and forth in the media between Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas and the Marner camp, an impasse has been reached.

Additionally, Toronto has just $11 million in cap space and has two freshly acquired restricted free agents to sign in Alex Kerfoot and Cody Ceci. As of now, the Leafs can’t afford Marner. I’m skimming over tons of details because a lot is from Toronto media, also known as a reason Toronto is called the Big Smoke.

Montreal has money to play with, and a desire for a big splash as clearly displayed by the Aho offer sheet. Toronto has a big-time player they currently can’t fit under the cap and is having a media-fueled back-and-forth argument with him on top of that. See where we’re heading?

Montreal should send an offer sheet to Cody Ceci. No, I’m just kidding. They should totally sign Marner to an offer sheet. Technically, the Canadiens can’t until Aho’s deal is officially matched. But they are allowed to talk to Marner and his agent Darren Ferris about an offer sheet. The Canadiens should do it, and here’s why.

Montreal would get better

"“See, I’m not a monster…I’m just ahead of the curve.” – Joker from The Dark Knight"

Despite having a nice cache of young offense, including Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Max Domi, and Jonathan Drouin, the Canadiens have been missing that big point producer for a long time.

How long has it been? The last time a Canadiens skater had as many points as Marner did last season (94 for those wondering) was 1995-96, where Pierre Turgeon and Vincent Damphousse scored 96 and 94 points respectively. That’s 24 years ago, which is longer than Marner has been alive.

With the addition of Marner, the Canadiens would have the offense to finally jump into the league’s elite. The defense was fine last year, and Carey Price still has the talent to be all-world good, which is something the Leafs could really have used last year.

Montreal also has the cap space to be able to do this, and it’s been shown this year that cap space is a priceless commodity. Pointing that weapon at a top rival is a flex of all flexes.

Additionally, having that star power back for the Canadiens is a huge boost for the league’s marketing purposes. The Habs are one of the most storied franchises in hockey history. Having stars is something they and their fans are well suited with, as history can tell you. The NHL is always a better place when Montreal is good.

Toronto would get worse

"“Madness is like gravity. All it takes is a little push.” – Joker from The Dark Knight"

On the flip side, the Leafs would be losing a huge portion of their offensive depth. They’ve already traded away Nazem Kadri, Connor Brown, and Patrick Marleau. Jake Gardiner is a free agent and won’t be coming back. They filled a couple of those spots with the Kerfoot/Barrie trade, but Barrie is a free agent next year and Kerfoot needs a contract this year (and has arbitration rights to boot).

On top of that, having him around takes the pressure off Auston Matthews and John Tavares from shouldering the entire offensive load. Toronto still has the likes of Andreas Johnsson and William Nylander to help that, but it’s not the same as having another elite point producer of Marner’s ilk.

Offensive production from one skater like what Marner brings on the table, especially at that age, doesn’t come easy, too. How many players his age or younger scored more points than Marner last year? Connor McDavid. That’s it. Losing that talent would be beyond awful for the Leafs short term and long term.

The old rivalry will be enhanced

"“It’s not about money. It’s about sending a message. Everything burns.” – Joker from The Dark Knight"

The only two teams left from the NHL’s inaugural season of 1917-18 are the Leafs and Canadiens. They’ve battled it out for the Stanley Cup seven times (Toronto a slight edge of four to three), and eight other playoff series (Montreal edge five to three). No other team can boast the legends each team has had wear their colors over the course of hockey history.

However, the last time these two teams met in the playoffs was 1978-79. With divisions being split weirdly at that time, the rivalry grew a little distant. It’s still a big deal when either team comes to visit the other, but it hasn’t had the same gravitas it used to.

If you take into account a Marner poaching by the Canadiens, it can reignite that flame that’s been burning low for years. Leafs fans would boo Marner restlessly, incessantly, frequently, and fervently. Habs fans would revel in it, and the rivalry would be re-born as it was in the Original Six days. Hockey needs this.

The hockey world would explode

"“Introduce a little anarchy. Upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos.” – Joker from The Dark Knight"

The last time an offer sheet was signed and the player moved teams was 2007 when Dustin Penner went from Anaheim to Edmonton. Since that point, it’s been widely accepted that offer sheets were largely pointless because teams would automatically match any offer sheet signed, and life goes on. This time, it’s different.

The Leafs have cap problems, and it’s been established that Dubas isn’t 100% set in stone matching a Marner offer sheet. Montreal has a chance to introduce that chaos by moving on Marner. Not only would that reignite the rivalry, but that would also change how offer sheets are used. It would send the hockey world into a frenzy.

Not only would it be a shock wave in two of the biggest hockey markets in the league on a local scale, but just as well it’d make waves across the whole league because of that fact. The offer sheet would be used to perfection, and force the hand of the Leafs to either blow away their entire cap space on one player and lock themselves in for eternal cap hell, or let a 21-year-old bonafide stud walk for four first-round draft picks.

The Toronto media would be furiously typing stories of how this descended into anarchy. The archaic theory of GM’s having that gentlemanly agreement of not using offer sheets would become completely bunk. The way the game is played will change forever. This HAS to happen.

Conclusion

"“I think you and I are destined to do this forever.” – Joker from The Dark Knight"

Hockey needs this. Montreal needs this. We as fans need this. Toronto doesn’t need this, which is all the more reason why everyone needs this. Marner to Montreal would be epic. Think of the possibilities. The hockey world would descend into chaos. Montreal and Toronto would become the hottest rivalry in hockey again. No more needs to be said. This is a move everyone should root for. Well, everyone outside of Toronto.