Maple Leafs Marner, Islanders Lamoriello Reunion; The Only Way This Move Is Possible

We are at the point in the early offseason when New York Islanders fans just want to see anyone walk through their doors, especially after how this past postseason went.

The most popular name to surface online as of late is Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitchell Marner, who is being scapegoated for why the team ultimately lost in Game 7 to the Boston Bruins.

He "failed to pick up his man"—David Pastrnak—before the Boston forward potted the overtime series-clinching goal:

It was a tough line change and given Toronto's neutral-zone coverage, it wasn't Marner's guy, to begin with, but that's a conversation for another day.

The Maple Leafs have a major salary cap issue, and it's clear that the way the team is currently constructed -- too top-heavy and lacking the defensive play to ultimately win a Stanley Cup -- there could be major changes this summer.

With Auston Matthews and William Nylander under contract, Marner is likely to be the odd man out -- if he wants to be.

When the Leafs signed Marner to a six-year deal worth $65.41 million ahead of the 2019-20 season, they gave him a full no-trade clause for the final two years of the contract, and they now have to deal with that.

"I mean, that would be a goal. I've expressed my love for this place, this city. Obviously, I've grown up here," Marner said (H/t THN Nick Barden ). "We'll start thinking about that now and try to figure something out."

So, not only would the Maple Leafs, if they wanted to move on from him, have to send him somewhere that he approves of, but that said team would need to be able to fit a $10.93 million cap hit on their books for 2024-25 and 2025-26.

And if you are an Islanders fan saying that the Islanders have to trade for Marner, then general manager Lou Lamoriello would have to move heaven and earth this summer to make the roster space.

When we say heaven and earth, we mean moving north of $5 million, as the Islanders currently have $6.34 million in cap space.

That's before bringing back a single player, which the Islanders will, in fact, be doing.

The number the Islanders would need to clear is closer to $8 million when factoring in restricted free-agent deals to Kyle MacLean and Simon Holmstrom and free-agent deals to either Mike Reilly or Sebastian Aho.

That means the Islanders would need to send players back the other way, like Adam Pelech or Ryan Pulock, defensemen, which the Maple Leafs could certainly use.

But that still wouldn't be enough.

In theory, moving Pulock and his $6.15 million cap hit would give the Islanders $12.49 million in cap space -- enough for Marner. But factoring in the team's free agent, that brings the Islanders to $9.49 million, if they bring those RFAs and one free-agent defenseman in.

The Islanders could include one of those RFAs in the trade and more to make the cap work.

But again, this is Marner's decision because the Maple Leafs gave him that power.

While Lamoriello was named general manager of the Leafs a month after Marner was selected fourth overall in 2015, the talented forward played three years under the Hockey Hall of Famer.

How did Lamoriello feel about Marner? (1:25- 2:41):

Marner's new deal was signed the year after Lamoriello left.

If Marner wanted to play for Lamoriello again, then clearly, it comes down to the Islanders' ability to clear cap.

But, Marner, who hasn't won anything yet  -- if he is leaving his home -- would likely want to go to a team that he believes has a chance to win right now.

Maybe...maybe being best friends with Matt Martin could have helped Marner's path to the Islanders a few years ago, but with Martin, a pending unrestricted free agent who potentially won't be back with New York, there goes that.

Listen, Marner to the island is wishful thinking.

If it happened, it would be a move that would shock the hockey world, solidifying the Islanders' top line, as long as he could play with Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal.

But, given how the Islanders have more than one hole, spending all their money on one player of that caliber, a player who has struggled to rise to the occasion in big moments, may not be the best use of assets for a team still a few pieces away from being a Stanley Cup contender.

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