What If Mitch Marner Found His Home — and Glory — With the Avalanche?

What if the Avalanche made a splash this summer?

What if they decided to attach a different type of elite winger to Nathan MacKinnon?

What if, like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin did with Phil Kessel, MacKinnon and fellow superstar Cale Makar allow this particular player to settle in without being the main star on the team?

What if the unlikeliest of scenarios plays out and the Avalanche find a way to sign pending unrestricted free agent Mitch Marner?

It’s probably not going to happen, and this entire post is nothing more than offseason fodder to give us something to talk about. But, it would certainly be a lot of fun.

So why not?

Marner was drafted six spots ahead of Mikko Rantanen in 2015 and has not had nearly the same kind of success as the former Av. Rantanen was (and still is) a playoff producer. Marner has struggled to elevate his play, especially in Games 5, 6, and 7 throughout his career.

What started as a dream scenario when he was drafted by his hometown and favorite childhood team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, is headed toward an imminent divorce, awaiting July 1 to come so the two sides can finally separate. There are many, many reasons why most teams — especially Stanley Cup contenders like Colorado — should steer clear of Marner.

It starts with the years of playoff disappointments and extends to his likely insane contract demands. But what if his negotiations play out like Rantanen’s — the number he expects to reach doesn’t get offered from a team in its window to win. Would he settle for less? And if so, how much less? Or would he be okay with playing for a team still building?

Bringing in Marner would require serious work from the Avs brass. For starters, Chris MacFarland and Joe Sakic would basically have to go back on their word of paying three stars. They wanted Rantanen at $11.65 million, and he was asking for closer to Leon Draisaitl’s $14 million. That’s ultimately what led to the sudden trade in January.

But the way the two have since spoken about the deal makes it sound like they wouldn’t have even wanted Rantanen to take the $11.65 million offer. If he did, they’d still be paying three stars (once Makar is extended). Maybe they’ve come around on that. Maybe they’ll try offering that same number, or something around it, to Marner.

After all, when the Avs traded Rantanen, the salary cap picture for the upcoming seasons had not yet been released. This is their chance for a do-over.

But even when you move past that, they’d also need to make several moves to clear the space and roster spot. Martin Necas? Valeri Nichushkin? Ross Colton? Charlie Coyle? Everything would be on the table.

Could Necas be moved for a second-line center to make room for Marner on the top line?

Thankfully, this is a front office that isn’t scared to make trades. They’re not afraid to change the outlook of a team and shake up a roster. We have living proof of that.

But why Marner? Why do all of this for a guy that doesn’t cut it in the playoffs and has a history of losing in Game 7?

You can’t deny he’s a talented elite-level player that, let’s face it, has faded under the pressure of playing for an organization, in a city, and in front of a fanbase that lives and breathes hockey. It’s not that the Toronto market is in the wrong — it’s that it’s not for everyone.

It wasn’t the best place for Kessel. It’s proven not to be the right place for Marner. Even though it would’ve been a dream for him to succeed there.

Bringing Marner to Colorado isn’t just about replacing Rantanen or undoing a trade. It’s not about acquiring the best player to likely hit the market this summer. It’s about finding the right fit for MacKinnon.

And it’s not that Necas hasn’t worked there. Or Artturi Lehkonen, Gabe Landeskog or Nichushkin.

If Marner was brought in, he’d come with the same chip on his shoulder that we’ve seen Rantanen play with in Dallas. The records Rantanen has broken, the number of hat tricks, and the crazy games he’s had in these playoffs, he probably wouldn’t have done that if the Avs didn’t trade him.

Even as someone who has spoken out against the Rantanen trade, I still understand this. Rantanen wanted to prove he can do it without MacKinnon. He wanted to prove the Avs wrong and was given the perfect opportunity to do that in Game 7. He took it.

Marner would come with the same hunger to win. And he’d do it alongside MacKinnon, who has spoken out about how much he believes in this player.

I was taken aback last September when MacKinnon defended Marner after another disappointing playoff loss for him and the rest of the Maple Leafs’ core.

MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby reached out to Marner and invited him to their summer training camp in Vail, Colorado, last summer. MacKinnon later publicly said Marner turned heads.