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Mitch Marner Under Fire For What He Said About His Future With Maple Leafs

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Michael Gallagher | Last updated May 19, 2025 7:05 AM ET

Following a 6-1 blowout loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of their second-round playoff series on Sunday, this may truly be the year that the Toronto Maple Leafs are forced to actually shake up their roster.

For several seasons, many believe the Maple Leafs would have to part with at least one member of their core four — Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares.

After all, all four players are making $10.9 million or more, and it’s simply not feasible for a team to have 53% of its cap space taken up by just four contract.

Yet somehow, the Leafs had found a way to make it work. Until this offseason, that is. While Matthews and Nylander are locked up for three more seasons, Marner and Tavares are both set to hit unrestricted free agency.

And while the soon-to-be 35-year-old Tavares likely won’t make $11 million per year on his next contract, the 28-year-old Marner, who scored a career-high 102 points this season, is set to get a significant raise from his $10.9 million salary.

Whether or not Marner will test the market or hash out a new deal with the Maple Leafs has been one of the biggest talking points of the season, and now that Toronto is getting a jump on its offseason, many are wondering what Marner’s plan is.

He was asked that very question by reporters following Sunday’s Game 7 loss.

“John Tavares says he wants to come back. Mitch Marner said it’s too early to discuss his future,” Sportsnet’s Luke Fox wrote in a since-deleted post on X.

While Marner’s response is about what most would expect him to say moments after having his season end in disappointing fashion in front of the Maple Leafs’ fans, those same fans took exception to his noncommittal response given Tavares made it clear he wants to come back in 2025.

“All you need to know about the character of each player,” one fan noted.

“Bro just stfu and stop playing games just [expletive] say you don’t wanna be here no more cuz trust me the feeling is [expletive] mutual,” another exclaimed.

“Marner already decided his future the beginning of the year,” a third fan stated.

“No it isn't Mitch. You can leave,” one user replied.

“Two very different answers here,” remarked another user.

“Tavares is one of my favorite players. Bought a jersey the second he signed. Mitch can get [expletive],” one fan scoffed.

In addition to Marner and Tavares, Toronto has three other unrestricted free agents it needs to make decision on — Max Pacioretty, Steven Lorentz, and Jani Hakanpaa — as well as a handful of restricted free agents including Matthew Knies, Nicholas Robertson, Pontus Holmberg.

The Maple Leafs are currently projected to be $2.69 million over the 2025 salary cap, so re-signing Marner would likely force a chain-reaction of other corresponding moves.

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

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