Mitch Marner's future with the Toronto Maple Leafs and what to make of the Carolina Hurricanes are topics that draw interesting discussion and lively debate when NHL.com staff writer Mike Zeisberger is welcomed to this week's episode of the "NHL @TheRink" podcast.
Zeisberger, who joins co-hosts Dan Rosen and Shawn P. Roarke midway into the episode, gives some of the particulars on how the Maple Leafs asked the forward if he'd be willing to waive his no-movement clause to go to the Carolina Hurricanes in a trade for forward Mikko Rantanen.
As Zeisberger says on the podcast, Marner, of course, told the Toronto no, and instead Carolina traded Rantanen to the Dallas Stars, who signed him to an eight-year, $96 million contract on Friday.
But what does this all mean for Marner's future with the Maple Leafs, which could end July 1, when he is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent? And is the criticism Marner takes in Toronto warranted?
Zeisberger provides the answers.
In addition, the conversation about the Hurricanes gets lively with Roarke, Rosen and Zeisberger offering opinions on what to make of Carolina now after trading forward Martin Necas to the Colorado Avalanche to get Rantanen and then flipping him to the Stars for a package of forward Logan Stankoven and draft picks, two that are in the first round.
Listen to hear their thoughts on the topic.
Prior to welcoming in Zeisberger, Rosen and Roarke talk about why the Avalanche and Stars are now, in their estimation, the top two teams in the Central Division even though the Winnipeg Jets have been in first place all season.
They disagree on the Boston Bruins trading captain Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers, with Rosen saying he can't believe they did it and Roarke taking the opposite stance.
The show ends with Rosen and Roarke talking about Alex Ovechkin's chase of Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goals record with the Washington Capitals forward nine goals away from breaking it.
Rosen, as he has been predicting for months, says Ovechkin will break the record this season and that he hopes he does. Roarke says he won't and hopes he doesn't because he wants Ovechkin to have a stage all to himself, and that won't happen if he breaks it at the end of the regular season with the Stanley Cup Playoffs coming into focus.
There's plenty more in this episode of the "NHL @TheRink" podcast, which is free and listeners can subscribe on all podcast platforms. It is also available on NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts and the NHL app.
