As the NHL offseason approaches, all eyes are on Mitch Marner and the Toronto Maple Leafs, with speculation swirling around the star forward’s future. After another disappointing playoff exit, the Maple Leafs face tough decisions, and Marner’s name has quickly become one of the hottest topics in hockey circles. With his elite skillset and proven track record, it’s no surprise that Marner is expected to attract significant interest from teams across the league eager to add a difference-maker to their roster.

Rumors have linked Marner to a variety of potential destinations, each hoping to secure his services and make a splash in the upcoming season. However, recent reports have cast doubt on one of the more intriguing possibilities, suggesting that the Pittsburgh Penguins may not be in the running for the dynamic winger after all. As teams like Florida, Vegas, Anaheim, and Chicago emerge as frontrunners, the Penguins find themselves at a crossroads, forced to rethink their strategy for both the present and the future. With the draft looming and free agency set to reshape the league, the next few months promise to be pivotal for both Marner and the teams hoping to land him.

Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Photo credit: Sportsnet

Mitch Marner is expected to draw immense interest this summer, although it now appears as though he won’t be ending up with the Pittsburgh Penguins after a recent report has revealed his likely suitors.

The Toronto Maple Leafs once again failed to go deep in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and as a result, it appears that they may lose one of their top stars in free agency in Mitch Marner.

Unsurprisingly, almost every team in the NHL is likely to be interested in the star forward, including the Pittsburgh Penguins, who will look to make Sidney Crosby’s final few years in the NHL successful.

Unfortunately for Kyle Dubas and the Penguins, the way the roster has currently been constructed, they just aren’t that attractive of a destination, with a recent report revealing that they aren’t among the teams expected to be in play for Marner.

Florida, Vegas, Anaheim and Chicago are among some of the teams interested in the star forward, but there’s been few, if any mentions of Pittsburgh being a potential landing spot, meaning that they will likely not be a team that gets into the Marner sweepstakes at all.

What this means for the Penguins is that they will likely have to continue building for the future, but after debuting both Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen, there’s simply not that much elite young talent left in the organization.

As a result, they’ll very likely be looking to add a potential young star with the No. 11 overall pick, and with plenty of draft capital moving forward and the team not being linked to Marner in free agency, all signs right now point to the Penguins building for the future.