If Toronto Maple Leafs fans plan to get rid of Mitch Marner, he’s not going to go quietly or make it easy. Speaking with the media on Monday as the team and players were clearing out their locker rooms, Marner said his desire is to sign a long-term extension with the Maple Leafs and has no plans on going anywhere.
Marner has one more year on his current deal, but the way things went in the playoffs against the Boston Bruins this season, he’s been made the scapegoat by much of the fan base. As management makes changes, potentially to both coaching and the roster, all eyes are on Marner and if the team will look to change up the core four and if he’ll be part of those changes. With a no-move clause, he holds a lot of the leverage in any talks and his desire to stay long-term means he’s not looking to be traded.
Marner said, “I’ve expressed my love for this place, this city. Obviously, I’ve grown up here. We’ll start thinking about that now and try to figure something out.” The hint here is that he’s under the impression his agents and the Leafs will start talking right away and when he’s eligible on July 1 to sign a new deal, that the arrows will be pointing in that direction.
But, what if the Maple Leafs have other plans?
What If Toronto Doesn’t Want a Long-Term Deal with Marner?
There will be changes in Toronto. Some could come in the form of new coaching, or a new management structure, and some will come from roster moves. There are several pending UFAs, many of whom expressed a desire to return. There are pending RFAs, and decisions will need to be made on them. The biggest decision is what will happen with Marner, as he could fetch as much as $12-plus million on the open market.
If the Maple Leafs don’t believe this group can get it done and the balance needs to change, the move that makes the most impact is sending Marner and his $11 million salary out. If he doesn’t want to go, the Leafs could be up a creek.
It seems apparent the team can’t win with four huge salaries tied to four main forwards. If Marner wants a raise and a new long-term deal, things will only get more challenging when it comes to building a winning roster around that core.
More must-reads: