Mitch Marner's Contract Demands After Vetoed Trade Revealed

Every NHL franchise with enough cap room will be able to offer $104 million or more to Marner spread over the duration of his next contract.

The Maple Leafs, however, are the only team that will have the right to offer Marner an eight-year contract, thus lowering the value of the deal if the winger is locked into breaking the $104-million barrier.

That being said, Pagnotta suggested that the total value might not be a dealbreaker in negotiations with Marner and his agent.

“Will Marner care, especially if a team is willing to give him $14 million a year over seven years?" Pagnotta wrote. "Sure, $98 million isn’t $100 million, but at that price point, who cares?”

Marner is in the final year of a six-year, $65.41 million contract and has been one of the league’s top offensive producers, posting 79 points in 62 games this season for Toronto.

The Maple Leafs were willing to part ways with Marner at the deadline, with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and fellow NHL insider Nick Kypreos reporting that Toronto approached Marner about a potential move to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Mikko Rantanen. Marner, however, exercised his no-movement clause and refused to waive it, shutting down the deal.

"As is his right, Marner declined to move, re-iterating his desire to stay," Friedman reported.

Since then, Marner has avoided any discussion of his contract future, most recently when asked about it following the 7-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday. 

“I’m not going to get into this contract stuff,” Marner said when asked about his plans beyond this season. “I’ve been very grateful, and I’ve loved my time being a Leaf. 

”That’s what I’ll leave with you guys.”

According to Pagnotta, if Marner reaches free agency next summer, the likes of Chicago, Utah, Los Angeles, Calgary, Philadelphia, San Jose, Pittsburgh, and the Islanders will show interest in signing him.

On Sunday, during an impromptu press conference, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving denied the rumors about the franchise's attempts to trade Marner, stating, "We want Mitch."