Signing Mitch Marner would be an awful idea for the Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks will be looking to add serious firepower to the lineup next season. To do so, the Hawks will kick the tires on every top free agent on the market this offseason to see who would be interested in coming over to the Windy City.

As an article in the Chicago Sun-Times pointed out back in March, the Blackhawks have had trouble luring top free agents to a team that’s still very much in the midst of rebuilding. For instance, the piece pointed out the concerted effort to sign Jake Guentzel last summer. However, Guentzel preferred to sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Why?

According to the article, Guentzel passing on the Blackhawks was largely due to their lack of competitiveness at this point. While there’s reason to believe that’s the case, the fact is that the Blackhawks have put key pieces in place to be a long-term contender.

So, that brings us to Mitch Marner.

Will the Chicago Blackhawks pursue Mitch Marner?

Absolutely. The Blackhawks will make a run at the biggest free-agent fish this summer. The Hawks have the cap space and an open spot on their top line for a guy like Marner to step in and run the show.

But then again, there’s reason to believe that landing Marner isn’t everything that he’s cracked up to be. So, let’s explore the argument against signing Mitch Marner this offseason.

Signing Mitch Marner would be terrible idea for Chicago Blackhawks

The contract itself

Let’s start from the top. Mitch Marner has said all along that he wanted to make more than Auston Matthews’ $13.6 million contract. When Matthews signed his deal last season, it made him the highest paid player in the league. Since then, Leon Draisaitl’s $14 million AAV became the most lucrative contract.

That situation meant that Marner’s asking price starts at $14 million. Now, that’s not much of an asking price because he’s not willing to budge from that. Marner and his camp believe he’s worth every penny and will be looking to cash in.

Then, there’s term. Marner wants the highest AAV in the league to go with a max-term, seven-year deal. Unless the Blackhawks trade for his rights before the opening of free agency, the most they can offer is seven years. So, seven years at, say, $14 million AAV is out of the question. It’s far too much money tied into one player who has yet to win anything meaningful in the NHL.