Bruins could be in the mix for Mitch Marner

Bruins

“It would be a bit of a heel turn for Marner, given they’re such a big rival in the division, but I don’t think we can rule it out entirely just on that basis.”

Mitch Marner will land a hefty contract on the open market this offseason. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

The Boston Bruins have plenty of work to do this offseason when it comes to righting the wrongs rooted in a miserable 2024-25 season.

But with more than $26 million in cap space on hand, could the Bruins allocate most of that spending power toward the top free agent on the market in Toronto star Mitch Marner?

As jarring as it would be to see Marner don a black-and-gold sweater after years spent battling Boston in the postseason, Maple Leafs writer and The Athletic senior scribe James Mirtle isn’t discounting the Bruins as a viable contender for Marner’s services this offseason.

In a ranking of Marner’s 32 possible destinations this summer as a soon-to-be free agent, Mirtle tabbed the Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings, Utah Mammoth, and Vegas Golden Knights as the “most likely fits” in the pursuit of Marner.

But after those four, Mirtle tabbed the Bruins among the teams in the next tier of teams vying for Marner — alongside the Ducks, Blackhawks, Avalanche, Blue Jackets, Red Wings, Panthers, Predators, Sharks, and Lightning.

“It was certainly a lost season in Boston this year, but do they try and pull a Capitals and retool quickly? Between David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman, they have a lot of strong pieces in place, so scorched earth doesn’t seem like the way to go,” Mirtle wrote.

“It would be a bit of a heel turn for Marner, given they’re such a big rival in the division, but I don’t think we can rule it out entirely just on that basis. They certainly have the cap room after their big sell-off before the deadline.”

As far as Marner returning to the Maple Leafs this summer, Mirtle tabbed it as a “2 percent chance” of the winger skating for Toronto moving forward.

Marner will command one of the heftiest contracts in NHL history if he goes to market, while his inability to put the Maple Leafs over the top in the postseason might frighten some teams — and fanbases — from investing heavily in the forward.

But, there are few instances where a superstar in his prime like Marner (who turned 28 in May) is up for grabs for whichever team is willing to pony up the cash.

And if Marner was interested in joining the Bruins, he’d serve as a much-needed remedy for a Bruins team in desperate need of skill and scoring punch.

Much as how David Pastrnak was driving his own line alongside Elias Lindholm and Morgan Geekie in 2024-25, a fellow right wing in Mitch Marner could anchor his own top-six line in Boston — even if his supporting cast (Pavel Zacha? Casey Mittselstadt?) might be a work in progress on a retooling Bruins roster.

Amid all the negative labels that Marner might carry as a smaller, skilled player whose playoff credentials might not pop, he’d address several needs for the Bruins.

Marner — who has four 90-plus point seasons on his resume — posted a career-high 102 points this season with Toronto, and is one of the better playmakers on the power play in recent years (33 points on the man advantage last season).

The 6-foot winger is also a weapon on the penalty kill and outside of the offensive zone, as he paced all Toronto forwards in average shorthanded ice time (2:14) this past year while leading all NHL forwards in takeaways (56).

Perhaps the Bruins would be better served turning what could be a $12-15 million a year annual payout to Marner and using it to add 2-3 other players.

But if Marner is legitimately interested in hearing Boston’s pitch, the Bruins should be ready and willing to open up their wallet to bring in another franchise fixture.