Mitch Marner’s Agent Addresses Relationship with Maple Leafs After Toronto Exit

Mitch Marner's Free Agency and Safety Concerns

Ferris added that while he would have preferred his client to test the open market, his role was to support Marner’s priorities, with family life and stability at the top of his list after he received threats and felt security concerns during his last days in Toronto.

“I wanted [Marner] to go to free agency and do the whole ‘dog and pony show,’ but he didn’t want to do it,” Ferris said of the former Leafs star’s decision to push for a sign-and-trade to the Vegas Golden Knights. “He heard directly from other players about Vegas and how they treat the players and their families.

"Safety for his family and being in the right environment mattered most.”

The working relationship between Ferris and the Leafs might have already carried over into discussions about other players represented by the agent that might eventually end up signing with the Leafs.

According to Ferris, he recently spoke with Treliving about at least one of his free-agent clients.

“We were talking about a free agent that I have currently that’s still out there, just recently acquired, and we just had a discussion, and we continue to, I mean, it’s business as usual,” Ferris said.

While Ferris would not confirm the name, some analysts have pointed to former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, who is coming off a 40-point season but remains unsigned, as the player Ferris might have referred to.