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Maple Leafs Receive Crushing Mitch Marner News on Friday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Michael Gallagher | Last updated Jun 13, 2025 4:52 PM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs have nine unrestricted free agents this offseason, none more important than Mitch Marner.

The 28-year-old forward chose to play out the 2024 season without hashing out a contract extension, and with free agency a little over three weeks away, many Maple Leafs fans are worried if Marner makes it to the open market he’s not coming back.

The former No. 4 overall pick had a career year this season, scoring 27 goals and a career-best 102 points, which was also a team-high, during the regular season plus another two goals and 13 points in the playoffs.

But given how Toronto’s season ended — a devastating 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs — and Marner’s subsequent comments after that defeat (he said it was too early to discuss his future), it’s no surprise he’s inclined to find a new team in 2025, according to FanDuel Sports Network’s Andy Strickland.

“Can confirm Mitch Marner will not be returning to Toronto. Will be playing for a new team come next season. #LeafsForever,” Strickland wrote on X.

Can confirm Mitch Marner will not be returning to Toronto. Will be playing for a new team come next season. #LeafsForever
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) June 13, 2025

If Marner does, in fact, leave Toronto it presumably signals several things.

The first is it likely increases the chances that center John Tavares, who’s also an unrestricted free agent, returns next season. Tavares told reporters after Toronto’s Game 7 loss to Florida that he wanted to come back.

The second is it more than likely signals a major roster shake up, as alluded to by general manager Brad Treliving during his end-of-season media availability.

“There’s some DNA that has to change in our team,” Treliving told reporters. “If you keep getting to the same result, there’s some DNA that needs to change. That’s on me going forward. We’ve now started the planning, and it’s early, for putting a team together for 2025-26.”

The Maple Leafs have stars Auston Matthews and William Nylander locked in for the next three seasons each. It’s highly unlikely either is traded.

But if Marner is gone, it could mean Treliving is looking to purge some of his middle-six players such as Max Domi, David Kampf, or Scott Laughton and rebuild around Matthews and Nylander.

Star forward Matthew Knies is also a restricted free agent. Coming off a 29-goal, 58-point season, the 22-year-old is a prime offer sheet candidate with Toronto likely strapped for cash once it hashes out the rest of its roster.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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