Is Mitch Marner or Brock Boeser a better fit in Anaheim?
The Ducks are in desperate need of some impact players to help right the ship and get back to winning games. They have a plethora of young talent who have had some solid NHL success thus far, including Mason McTavish, Troy Terry and Leo Carlsson. If the team can get a bounce-back season from Trevor Zegras, and if Cutter Gauthier continues his development, they can make a real impact next season, however, they could use some high-end talent. Their best approach to find that talent, outside of them having the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, is through free agency.
The two names that many are considering are Mitch Marner, formerly of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Brock Boeser, formerly of the Vancouver Canucks.
This article will break down the two players, their strengths and weaknesses, and who would be a better fit in Anaheim for the future.
Mitch Marner
Leafs forward Mitch Marner against the Florida Panthers (John E. Sokolowski)
Starting with who many would consider to be the better player, Marner is the marquee free agent on the market this offseason. Ranked No. 14 in ESPN’s preseason player ranking and coming off a season where he tallied 102 points, Marner was one of Toronto’s best players in a season where they won 52 games. Alongside William Nylander and an injured Auston Matthews, Marner helped Toronto advance to the second round before losing in seven games to the Florida Panthers.
One of Marner’s biggest strengths, other than his elite playmaking, is his ability to stay on the ice. He is one of the league’s premier “ironmen” as he has only played less than 70 games a season three times. He has also played in over 80 games a season four times, including this past season with 81.
On the other hand, his defensive ability for a forward is nothing to call home about. He isn’t necessarily a liability, but he is not going to be winning any Selke awards in his time in the NHL.
Marner has over 700 points in his nine year career, 520 of which being assists. His playmaking is some of the best in the league, and his praises constantly get sung by Leafs head coach Craig Berube.
“He does a lot for this team, night in and night out, in a lot of different areas of the game,” Berube said in a presser about what it was like to coach the forward this season.
While he has not reached the scoring peaks of Boeser, he sits at around 26-30 goals a season, which would have led the 2024-2025 Ducks. Needless to say, his addition to the roster would prove a smart one for Anaheim’s front office, as his prowess on offense would already make him one of the most explosive players on the team.
Brock Boeser
Canucks forward Brock Boeser against the Minnesota Wild (Bob Frid)
Brock Boeser is the definition of consistency. Though his stats aren’t jaw dropping, he’s had at least or nearly 50 points in each of the last eight seasons, with the exception of the 2023-2024 season, where he had 73. His statline each year is practically a mirror image of the previous year, as he is a consistent 25 goal, 25 assists threat every season.
He was tied for second on the team in points this season, 50, with Conor Garland, only behind star defenseman Quinn Hughes. Thus far, Boeser’s best season was in 2023-2024, where he scored 40 goals, a career-high for him which also led the team. If he can provide anywhere near that scoring output on the Ducks, he would be their de facto goal scorer in tight situations.
Arguably his biggest strength, when compared to Marner, is his price tag. According to Spotrac.com, Boeser’s previous AAV was around $6.5 million, as opposed to Marner’s nearly $11 million. While Marner is on paper the better player, and deserves the large contract he will receive, Boeser would be a cheaper and possibly more effective option for Anaheim. He would likely slot in as a top six forward immediately for the team, and as he gets acclimated, will find his role.
Just like Marner, Boeser is a subpar defender. He too will not be winning any Selke awards in the future, but he can hold his own if he has to. He is the bigger of the two players, standing at 6-foot-1 and 208 pounds, which makes him a bigger body on the ice compared to Marner.
On paper, Boeser is less of a gamble for Anaheim, as he will have a cheaper price tag, and provide consistency that the team desperately needs.
If Anaheim is looking to turn the team around next year, and contend in what is a really stacked Pacific Division, then they should sign Marner. He is the better player of the two, and though his price tag will be steep, he will step in and immediately be the best player on the team.
However, if they are looking to conserve money to sign other depth pieces to help build out the team, then Boeser is the choice. His consistent 50 point seasons make him a valuable asset to any team, and if Anaheim is looking to find that consistency next year, signing him is a no-brainer.
References
The Leafs Nation. Facebook.com. https://www.facebook.com/tlndc/videos/craig-berube-dishes-on-what-it-was-like-to-coach-mitch-marner-this-season-toront/997960655838110/
2025 NHL Free Agents. Spotrac.com. https://www.spotrac.com/nhl/free-agents/_/year/2025
HockeyReference.com
ESPN. NHL Rank: Top-100 player predictions for the 2024-25 season. https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/41753159/nhl-rank-2024-25-top-100-players-rankings-predictions
