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Maple Leafs and Mitch Marner May Come to Unexpected Agreement This Week, Per Top Leafs Insider

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Jack Sutherland | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 7:27 PM ET

Per Nick Kypreos, the Toronto Maple Leafs and pending UFA forward and longtime Core 4 member Mitch Marner could soon complete a sign and trade deal.

Immediately after the Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated from the ECSF by the divisional foe Florida Panthers, attention turned to pending UFA forward Mitch Marner and his future with the club.

Marner, who reached a new career-best 102 points (27G, 75A) this year but only had a single assist in the final 4 games of the postseason, is as good as gone from the Maple Leafs by most estimations at this point.

But per a new report from analyst Nick Kypreos, the Maple Leafs could soon possibly complete a sign and trade deal with Marner so that they would at least be able to retain some assets for him rather than lose him for free.

If Mitch Marner makes it to free agency, there is a chance he'd sign somewhere for less than the maximum seven years he'd be able to get on the open market. But what if he could end up in a market he liked and on a Stanley Cup contender?
It's not out of the question that Marner could still seek maximum term and this is where a sign and trade could get interesting for everyone involved. For Toronto, allowing a sign and trade might be the best resolution of all. Dealing Marner would ensure they get something back for losing him, and doing so with a contract in place would bring a return that's far more enticing and impactful than simply trading his negotiating rights. They might be able to bring in a roster player to replace him with.

Marner has played his entire NHL career with the Maple Leafs, and while he's become known as one of the great regular season players in team history, his performance in the postseason came under heavy scrutiny.

Not long after their latest playoff defeat, GM Brad Treliving spoke about the need to shift the DNA of the club, and Marner playing elsewhere could be part of that plan.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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