Should Mitch Marner Become A Utah Mammoth In Free Agency?

May 19, 2025 , 3:44 PM | Updated: 8:57 pm

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Mitch Marner....

Mitch Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs reacts after losing to the Florida Panthers 6-1 in Game Seven of the Second Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on May 18, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

(Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

COLE BAGLEY


Utah Mammoth Insider

SALT LAKE CITY – Another year, another inevitable early exit by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup Playoffs which means a likely collapse of their current big four. As Mitch Marner prepares to enter free agency and be the first of the four to leave as the most sought-after talent this summer, should the Utah Mammoth consider joining the conversation and attempt to bring in the talented winger?

Should the Utah Mammoth enter the Mitch Marner sweepstakes?

Why the Utah Mammoth should consider Mitch Marner

It’s not every day that a 100-plus point skater enters free agency in the NHL, but Marner appears poised to enter the market, and Utah very well could be a potential destination.

So, why should Utah even consider making him a Mammoth?

For starters, Utah DESPERATELY NEEDS more scoring and production up front which Marner could easily provide.

After nine seasons with his hometown squad in Toronto, the 28-year-old right wing has been more than a point per-game-player and consistently improved as he experienced a career-best 102 regular season points in 2024-25.

While Clayton Keller (90 points), Logan Cooley (65 points) and Dylan Guenther (60 points) all experienced career-highs for Utah, having just one forward break the 90-point benchmark with such a significant gap between him and the next few guys is simply not going to get the job done.

Of the eight teams who made the playoffs from the Western Conference, five of them had more than 700 total points (goals and assists) in the regular season.

For those who didn’t break 700, Los Angeles and St. Louis still had an incredibly positive plus/minus as a team while Minnesota was only -6.

Meanwhile, Utah had just 671 points and an overall plus/minus of -70.

Marner has the potential to make a significant difference in that area and help bridge the gap for Utah to make the playoffs.

Imagine his 95-point average over the last four years leading Utah into the postseason alongside Keller, Cooley and Guenther to usher in the dawn of a new ice age in the first year of the Mammoth.

While he’s primarily a pass-first player, Marner can score, direct traffic, excels on the power play and is able to consistently find shooters in prime position to light the lamp.

Simply put, if a top five NHL producer in both assists (75, third) and points (102, fifth) is willing to meet with you and have a serious conversation about signing with your team, you book that meeting 10/10 times.

Why the Utah Mammoth could pass on signing Mitch Marner

Now, just because a team meets with a player doesn’t mean they have to sign him.

While Marner is hottest name in free agency this summer and there’s a very strong argument that Utah should make him a Mammoth, there’s also a few significant red flags to consider.

First of all, Marner’s price tag is going to be incredibly steep.

We’re talking upwards of $12M a year and likely seven seasons.

That could be a dangerous contract for a 28-year-old, especially when it would require more than half of Utah’s $22M pocket this offseason.

Could it be a good risk? Absolutely. But it’s dangerous to have that on your books until he’s 35 or 36 years old.

Second, Marner has not exactly been known to show up when it matters most, nor is he the most defensive-minded player when it counts.

While he’s been a core piece for Toronto in consistently making the playoffs, he tends to somewhat go silent in the postseason.

Not that he’s a bad player, but his postseason production drops from 1.12 points per game in the regular season to .9 in the playoffs.

His goals are also few and far between as he’s only registered 13 in 70 career playoff games.

Third, Utah also has a bit of a size issue up front and Marner doesn’t solve any problems in that category.

He’s not small by any means at 6-foot, but he doesn’t really play big. He’s not a power forward or someone who creates a lot of havoc around the net.

Utah needs more physicality up front and Marner’s price tag would make it hard to find a player of that style.

Conclusion on the Mammoth considering Marner

Despite the potential downsides to Marner, Utah should still entertain any conversation with the talented forward if he’s willing to listen.

Even if they don’t sign him, those are the situations you want to be a part of as Utah tries to establish themselves as an attractive free agent destination in the NHL.

Additionally, Marner is an All-Star level talent who has the potential to help Utah reach the next level in a “smaller” market with less pressure and more excitement rather than negativity.

At some point, team’s need to take potentially risky swings to push them over the top and Marner might be worth taking a risk on.

With that being said however, Utah should be somewhat weary and extensive in their thought process if Marner does in fact show interest.

Given his age, likely lengthy contract and questionable ability to show up when it matters most, there’s no reason to just “win” the summer when it could result in losing future winters and potentially cost a promising team a championship window.

“A lot of teams that you saw that ‘won the summer’ didn’t win the winter,” Bill Armstrong said during his exit interview. “Once the money’s gone, it’s usually locked in for a long term and next year, we’re talking about, ‘How do we get rid of some of that money?’ So, it’s really a tricky one, where you have to very, very cautiously spend your money.”

Related: Utah Hockey Club Exit Interviews Blog: Bill Armstrong, Chris Armstrong, Andre Tourigny

If Utah decides to enter the conversation, Armstrong will certainly undergo extensive due diligence in order to make sure Utah comes out on top regardless of the outcome.

Could Marner be worth it? Definitely.

But there are also other players that might make more sense for the Mammoth as they strive for the playoffs next season and beyond.

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Following the conclusion of the Utah Mammoth’s inaugural season, the next notable event will be the NHL Draft on June 27 and 28.

After recently drawing the fourth overall draft pick in the 2025 NHL draft, each of Utah’s upcoming draft selections will be dressed in the new Utah Mammoth home sweater.

Full story: Utah Hockey Club Draws No. 4 Overall Pick In 2025 NHL Draft Lottery

Cole Bagley is the Utah Mammoth insider for KSL Sports. Keep up with him on X here. You can hear Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV.

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