NHL Trade Rumor: If the Maple Leafs can't sign Mitch Marner, 3 possible destinations

The Mitch Marner saga continues as the chatter between Kyle Dubas and Mitch Marner's camp, aka sounds like mostly his Dad, Paul is as interesting as it gets.

Negotiations over the past several weeks have been positive, however, it appears a letter on the jersey has been a hot topic of discussion most recently. With the Maple Leafs only being able to offer Marner roughly $10 million in the first year of the contract, and his 'camp' stuck on the $11.6 that Auston Matthews received, there is still an outside shot the Maple Leafs move on from Marner and open up further trade talks with other teams.

According to sources connected to the Maple Leafs, they've recently held internal discussions regarding several names of interest, should the reality of trading Marner present itself.

These names included:

1. Victor Avirdsson of the Nashville Predators - the 26-year-old Swede would fight nicely into the Maple Leafs lineup, and provide them with some offense in Marner's absence. Avirdsson knows several of the Europeans on the Maple Leafs roster, and he brings a wealth of playoff experience. His $4.5 million dollar contract is great value for averaging 30 goals a season the past 3 years. A player like Craig Smith could be added into the deal to make the money work for this upcoming season.

2. Matt Dumba of the Minnesota Wild - the 25-year-old RHD is making $6 million for the next 4 seasons, and with the Maple Leafs only having 1 defenseman under contract for next season, Dumba could be a reasonable replacement if Tyson Barrie decides to walk. The Regina, Saskatchewan native finished last season with 22 points in 32 games and is capable of putting up 50 points on a regular basis. Expect a name like Joel Eriksson Ek to be discussed should the Wild and Maple Leafs get heavy into discussions.

3. Kyle Connor of the Winnipeg Jets - Mike Babcock absolutely loves this player, as Connor is as smart as they come. An RFA in a similar boat as Mitch Marner, a lot would need to happen to facilitate such a deal. Connor finished last season with a career high 66 points and would cost the Maple Leafs less than having Marner back in the fold. Connor also happens to be a friend of Auston Matthews, which never hurts when it comes to chemistry on the ice and keeping the star happy should Marner be moved.

Leafs Nation has been through a lot this offseason. Names like Sparks, Zaitsev, Brown, Hainsey, Ennis, Kadri, and Rosen have all been moved. Now the focus is solely on Mitch Marner and if his camp continues to reach for the moon, expect Marner to be suiting up with a bunch of new stars.