Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner Linked to Western Conference Contender in Bold Move

"I would rather see him someplace where there are some, for lack of a better term, adults in the room that may or may not have a ring on their finger who have done this before, where Mitch doesn’t have to be the guy fake yelling at the team and then doing nothing."

Marner, 28, completed a six-year, $65.4 million deal and is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. 

Despite posting a career-best 102 points this regular season, his playoff performance remained under scrutiny, especially following Toronto’s 6-1 Game 7 loss to the Panthers.

Marner was noncommittal about returning to Toronto when speaking to reporters during the Maple Leafs' end-of-season interviews.

"I’ve always loved my time here. I loved being here," Marner said. "I haven’t processed anything yet. It’s still so fresh."

Wyshynski’s suggestion would allow Marner to reset in a lower-pressure environment and focus on complementing established leadership, rather than carrying it himself.