The Insane Way We Get Mitch Marner to Pittsburgh Next Season

Let's face it. Mitch Marner in Pittsburgh with Sidney Crosby next season would be elite.

In a postgame interview after his OT game-winning goal for Team Canada, Mitch Marner said that his dad would be "pumped as s***" to see him get the game winner off an assist from Sidney Crosby, whom he grew up idolizing.

"Ever since day one, 87...that's all I wore growing up, it's all I cheered for. It's a really cool, surreal, pinch-me moment for sure."

Mitch Marner (on Crosby assist)

Mitch Marner is at the end of a huge contract with the Maple Leafs, and while it might not be extemely likely, I'm bound and determined to find a way to make the Sid-Marner connection a staple for Pittsburgh.

Cap Situation

As of this moment, the Penguins have about $7M in available cap space, but that number is sure to go way up after the trade deadline and the NHL raising the cap in 2025-26.

The cap is scheduled to go up another $7.5M next season, and with the expiring contracts on the book for the Penguins, they're looking at something around $24M in available cap space next season.

That is a fairly encouraging number, and it could get even better if the Penguins decide to offload Erik Karlsson's mega-contract in a trade. He's currently demanding $10M a year, which most of which could instantly be flipped for other similar caliber players.

How would Marner fit?

The bottom line: Marner would fit.

Marner is a perennial 20 goal-scorer, a lethal shooter, a power play factor, a penalty killer, and a career point-per-game player. He began his career at 19 with the Toronto Maple Leafs and never looked back.

He'll be 28 years old next season and a free agent. His previous contract was a 6 year, $65M contract. This year he has 16 goals and 55 assists (71 points) in just 54 games. He's a bona fide star, and his love for Sidney Crosby could be enough to make him want to come to Pittsburgh.

The only problem is that Marner has been rumored to be in line to receive a contract from the Maple Leafs that is almost double what his current contract is. A deal up over $16M AAV is not only possible, but likely.

What Gets Marner to Pittsburgh

The weird thing is that the consensus from Maple Leafs fans is that they don't really like Marner, or at least not for how much he's paid.

The Leafs are well documented for being playoff chokers who haven't won anything since Alaska and Hawaii first became part of the United States. Marner is much maligned in lieu of that for his playoff performance (even though it's still good).

Is this fan backlash enough to get management to move on from him? It's impossible to tell. But I do know someone that used to be in the Toronto management circle that could help the Penguins here: none other than Penguins GM Kyle Dubas.

Would it look bad if Dubas went out and signed Mitch Marner to a mega-deal in free agency this offseason? Maybe, but Penguins fans would get over it in about four minutes.

The entire argument about the Penguins right now is building a team around Sidney Crosby so he can ride off into the sunset winning. Erik Karlsson was supposed to be that move, but the winning hasn't come.

It would take some finagling, but the Penguins can manipulate the cap to make it possible to sign Marner with some trades as early as this month.

Marner would be an instant addition that would turn the needle in a positive direction for the Penguins. The youth movement on the rise as well as promise in the goaltending means that the Penguins can and should make a bid for Marner.

Maybe Marner takes a slight discount to come play with Crosby. I wouldn't bank on it, but if he is such a fan of Sid and continues to enjoy playing with him in the Four Nations Faceoff, it has to be on the table.

The drama and cockiness Marner holds might go away if he shares a locker room with his childhood idol, too, an aspect that Leafs fans are not fond of.

Marner saw Crosby win the 2009 Stanley Cup when he was just a lad. How about teaming up with your hockey inspiration to win one more? Is it likely? No. Possible? Most definitely.

Tell us what you think about the Penguins going out and signing Mitch Marner this offseason. Could they pull it off? What would they have to do to get him? Should they even sign him at all?

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