Top fits for Marner if he hits free agency

As July 1 inches closer, Mitch Marner looks more likely than ever to test the free-agent market. Despite taking a ton of heat for the Toronto Maple Leafs' latest playoff failure, he could still be the crown jewel of this year's unrestricted free agent class if he opts to leave his hometown team after nine seasons and two series wins.

We're not shutting the door on an extension in Toronto, but the relationship between the two sides appears fractured. Marner reportedly turned down lucrative extension offers throughout the season and was unwilling to waive his no-movement clause in a possible trade for superstar forward Mikko Rantanen. And Leafs fans are more desperate than ever for change.

Many teams would love to add a player of Marner's caliber - a perennial 100-point threat with defensive prowess - but we've narrowed down a list of sensible fits.

If it's about money

Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks need to surround Connor Bedard with better players if they want to take a step forward. Pairing him with a skilled playmaker would be a great start, and Marner has a long history of setting up an elite sniper in Auston Matthews.

Chicago has more than $30 million available to spend this summer. It might be a tough sell based on the state of the roster, but the Blackhawks have the resources to make Marner the league's highest-paid player.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins are in the teardown stage of their rebuild, but would Kyle Dubas be willing to throw a wrench in those plans to bring in a player he defended time after time as Toronto's general manager? Marner, at 28 years old, still fits with Pittsburgh's long-term plans, and he would certainly help Sidney Crosby offensively.

A top six of Crosby, Marner, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Evgeni Malkin is pretty formidable, and the Penguins can make it work with $23.03 million of cap room available. That said, if Pittsburgh's mission is to win the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes for next year's draft, Marner might not make sense.

Teams looking to take a step

Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres haven't made the playoffs in 14 years and have $21.43 million at their disposal to make some big moves this offseason. Buffalo has no problem scoring goals, but Marner could alleviate pressure from some of the younger players in the lineup and provide the Sabres with a premium two-way player.

Buffalo undoubtedly needs to spend on goal prevention, as the club ranked 29th in goals against and 23rd on the penalty kill this season. Marner has proven he's able to help in those areas while making the offense even more dangerous.

Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin raised eyebrows with his season-ending comments about being disappointed in management for not going shopping at the trade deadline. Detroit is also mired in a lengthy playoff drought, and bringing in Marner would be a huge boost to a core that needs help getting over the hump.

Steve Yzerman doesn't have a great history of free-agent signings with the Red Wings, but the team does have $21.3 million to spend and faces organizational pressure to turn a corner in what's been a lengthy rebuild.

Utah Mammoth

Bill Armstrong's been patient as the general manager of the Coyotes/Mammoth franchise, accumulating a ton of draft picks and letting prospects develop into NHLers. Utah was in the wild-card mix this past season and has some promising pieces, but Marner could help this group reach the next level.

The Mammoth have $22.3 million in cap space and no pressing internal contracts to take care of. Ownership has been assertive from Day 1, most notably with a pair of big trades at last year's draft. Adding one of the top free agents could do wonders for fan interest in Salt Lake City while simultaneously bringing the club closer to contention.

Contenders that can make it work

Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes' interest in Marner is apparent - they did try to land him for Rantanen a few months ago, after all. Marner would fit in with GM Eric Tulsky's analytics-friendly approach and has the two-way ability that head coach Rod Brind'Amour craves in his forwards. Additionally, Carolina has a culture of succeeding by committee, especially in the playoffs - which could be refreshing for Marner after a decade in Toronto.

Carolina has almost $30 million in cap space this offseason, the fourth-highest sum in the league. It's an unfamiliar amount of flexibility for a perennial Stanley Cup contender, and Tulsky's not been shy about making splashes since taking over as GM.

Colorado Avalanche

Colorado only has $8.7 million in cap space but could unload a contract or two to make room for Marner. Avalanche brass defended their decision to trade Rantanen after he single-handedly ended their season, but admitting they made a mistake was never really an option. On top of that, superstar Nathan MacKinnon said he doesn't know what the team is going to do after collapsing against a Dallas team missing two of its best players.

Adding another star would help. MacKinnon and Marner were teammates for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off and likely will be again for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics. The Avalanche took some big swings this season to strengthen their roster against the Central Division gauntlet, but they still came up short. Getting creative to land Marner could give them a spark.

Florida Panthers

This one would sting Leafs fans the most, but Florida has $19 million in cap space and has relentlessly added players in its pursuit of winning. The Panthers might not be able to offer Marner the money he wants, but a tax-free income is definitely a selling point.

If a new culture is what Marner needs, there might not be a better fit than the team that's outclassed Toronto in two of the last three playoffs. There would also be way less day-to-day pressure on Marner in the Sunshine State, as OHL teammate and possible recruiter Matthew Tkachuk alluded to in his assessment of the Leafs following Game 7.