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Kyle Dubas prepares blockbuster trade with former team Maple Leafs
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Kyle Dubas prepares blockbuster trade with former team Maple Leafs

Of course that’s the plan!

Chris Gosselin

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas loves to go shopping in Toronto. There were recent talks that the GM could attempt to part with head coach Mike Sullivan to replace him with former Maple Leafs bench boss Sheldon Keefe, though I can’t imagine veteran leaders like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang would be thrilled with that.

However, when it comes to players. Dubas is reportedly interested in the whole Mitch Marner trade speculation, and Stephen Nixon of Editor in Leaf strongly believes the Penguins’ GM will attempt to acquire his former star forward in a monster deal.

Captain Crosby is expected to sign an extension this summer to stay in Pittsburgh and is likely to retire alongside Malkin and Letang as Penguins. Do not expect them to get involved in this deal. However, Nixon claims this could be the monster trade Dubas is preparing for the offseason:

“The one player that Toronto could be very interested in acquiring is goaltender Tristan Jarry. Alex Nedeljkovic is a pending UFA, but if he re-signs in Pittsburgh, Jarry would most likely be on the trade block and the Leafs should jump on him. With a career 2.70 GAA and .912 SV%, Jarry is an above-average goaltender and someone who would be a better option than re-signing Ilya Samsonov.”

Cap issues are an ongoing detail to iron out both in Toronto and Pittsburgh and Nixon therefore adds this to what he sees included in the transaction:

“Pittsburgh has their own salary-cap issues, so trading him straight up for Marner wouldn’t work, or wouldn’t be fair value, so I’d expect something like this to make sense. Mitch Marner in exchange for Tristan Jarry, Marcus Pettersson, 2025 First Round Pick and 2026 First Round Pick (*if he re-signs).”

There’s no way that the Maple Leafs will win any Marner trade, if he chooses to waive his no-movement clause to accommodate a transaction. However, by doing business with their former GM, the Leafs and general manager Brad Treliving could get a better solution, landing a starting goalie and a big defenseman who can move the puck well.

Do you believe Marner will make his way to Pittsburgh and to his former general manager?

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