Brad Treliving confirms he expects Marner to hit the market on July 1st

In case there was any doubt left over, it looks like Mitch Marner is on his way out.

On Thursday, Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving spoke to the media ahead of the upcoming NHL draft and free agency. Of course, Marner was top of mind for Toronto’s media, as the longtime Leaf is set to become a UFA in just five days time. While earlier this year it seemed possible or even likely he’d consider re-signing with Toronto, things have since shifted. Now, Treliving himself is confirming that Marner is all but set to walk on July 1st.

“I’d probably say, unless there’s a significant change here, I would anticipate that he’s going to hit the market,” Treliving said.

This was widely expected to be the case, as talks seem to have dissipated completely between Marner and the Leafs. Nevertheless, this is a change in tone from Treliving, who was ambiguous on the topic of Marner’s future back in May.

It’s clear the market is hot for the highly-skilled winger, with reported interest across the league. With that in mind, the Leafs still have the opportunity to complete a sign-and-trade into early next week. This would allow them to get some assets back for their star winger, and offer a team first dibs and the ability to give Marner an eight-year deal.

However, there doesn’t appear to be much motion on that front, especially considering Marner has a full no-movement clause in his contract (which already bit the Leafs once this year).

“We’ll see how that goes,” Treliving stated, on the possibility of a sign-and-trade.

Through the month of June, there have been signs of a deteriorating relationship between the organization and Marner’s team. Asked if he’ll be meeting with Marner before Canada Day, Treliving once again answered curtly.

“We’ve had communications on a regular basis, so we’ll see how everything plays out,” he said.

As the bidding war for Marner plays out across the league, it spells the beginning of a new era for the Toronto Maple Leafs. For better or for worse, this team is about to look a whole lot different come October.