Toronto Maple Leafs could lose one of biggest stars to playoff rival

Could we wind up seeing Toronto Maple Leafs forward and pending UFA Mitch Marner take his talents down south?

The 28-year-old is set to become a free agent on July 1, and should that happen, there will be a ton of teams interested. Coming off of a career-high 102-point season, Marner is expected to get paid a handsome amount, and while it remains to be seen where he ends up, it sounds as though the Florida Panthers will be making a big push.

It may even come before he hits free agency.

"There's real smoke that the Florida Panthers could be gearing up to make a run at Marner. Word is that Toronto has opened the door to a sign-and-trade scenario, where they ink Marner to a max-term extension (eight years) and then flip him to recoup some level of value," Cam Robinson on Elite Prospects wrote in a recent column.

The Panthers would undoubtedly be a team Marner would love to join, as they are currently going up against the Edmonton Oilers in what is their third straight Stanley Cup Final. There is also far less pressure from both fans and media which could help him in a big way when it comes to postseason play.

One star the Panthers have who was in a similar situation was Matthew Tkachuk, who spent the first six seasons of his career with the Calgary Flames before being traded. The 27-year-old has spoke on numerous occasions about how much he enjoys being able to play in a less hockey-crazed market.

Barring a major change in stance, it appears that the Leafs and Marner will indeed be parting ways in less than a month's time. Whether it's the Panthers who wind up landing him remains to be seen, but whichever team he lands with will have themselves a highly skilled and, perhaps even more importantly, a highly motivated player on their hands.