NHL Rumors: Insider Frank Seravalli speculates Leafs parting ways with $65,408,000 winger could help them acquire Hurricanes' Jake Guentzel

NHL insider Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff suggests that the Toronto Maple Leafs could be contenders to sign free-agent forward Jake Guentzel. But that is if the Leafs part ways with Mitch Marner, one of the highest-paid players in the league.

"If the Toronto Maple Leafs trade Mitch Marner, they could be players...," Frank Seravalli said.

Marner is entering the final year of his six-year, $65.4 million contract. He has a $10.9 million cap hit, which ranked 12th in the league in 2024 per Spotrac. The Leafs must decide whether to sign Marner to a contract extension, which would likely involve a raise, or trade him this offseason.

Jake Guentzel, who won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017, will be one of the top forwards entering free agency. He will come with a lower cap hit than the price of Marner's contract extension.

Also, Guentzel is 30 and played great with Carolina after his trade from the Penguins. He scored 25 points in 17 games. In the playoffs, he got nine points in 11 games, which shows how good he is.

Guentzel is a good scorer and is known for stepping up in big games. In Toronto, losing Marner could change the team a lot. He's popular but expensive.

The NHL free agency will take place on July 1. It remains to be seen if Seravalli's prediction comes true or if Guentzel joins Vancouver or another team with a strong offer.

The Vancouver Canucks look like a good fit for Jake Guentzel

Jake Guentzel’s pending free agency has garnered interest from the Vancouver Canucks, according to Seravalli. other teams interested in the forward include the Capitals, Panthers, Maple Leafs, and Rangers.

Carolina is unlikely to extend Guentzel's contract and has made his signing rights available for trade before July 1.

Guentzel was near the end of a five-year, $30 million contract with the Penguins, so he was traded to Carolina at the deadline to avoid losing him for nothing. Despite an upper-body injury limiting him to 67 games, he averaged 1.15 points per game.

This is what Jake Guentzel had to say about his time playing for the Hurricanes.

“I loved my experience here. It’s a great place to play. I don’t think you realize the behind the scenes, how good it is. The guys make it good too. We’re going to see what happens over the next little bit here,” Guentzel said. [via NHL.com]

Jake Guentzel is expected to command a $9.5 million annual cap hit on a max-term contract. The Canucks, who have a significant cap space, appear well-positioned to acquire him.

However, signing Guentzel would likely mean parting with other players like Dakota Joshua, and Elias Lindholm, and possibly trading Ilya Mikheyev to manage their cap.