Rumoured Hostility Between Maple Leafs Management & Marner Isn’t True

Marner, who is 27 years old, scored 27 goals and added 75 assists for 102 points through 81 games this season. Throughout his career, he has scored 221 goals and added 520 assists for 741 points through 657 games, which comes out to a 1.13 points-per-game average. He has been criticized for his inconsistency in the playoffs, but his stats have been solid in the postseason. At the time of this article, he has played 62 career playoff games, scoring 12 goals and adding 45 assists for 57 points. He is in the final season of his six-year contract that has a $10,903,000 cap hit.

Realistically, I don’t think there’s any hostility between the two sides heading into negotiations. Marner was understanding when they asked him to waive his trade protection to be moved to the Hurricanes, because he understood the Maple Leafs had to gauge the possibility of bringing in another superstar for a playoff run. While he may have lied to avoid any further questions from the media, it’s unlikely he would hold a grudge. As of right now, the theory that Marner and management aren’t on good terms is a stretch.

Bissonnette and McAfee are pretty plugged in around the world of sports, but they aren’t “insiders” by any means, and what they said should be taken with a grain of salt.

What Other Teams Could Target Marner?

It has to be considered that Marner could hit the open market this summer, and if he does, plenty of teams will have interest. The Edmonton Oilers were willing to spend big to bring in Rantanen at the trade deadline, so they might pivot to Marner if his asking price isn’t too high.

Rebuilding teams with plenty of cap space could also make a splash, including the Chicago Blackhawks, who would want to pair a star with Connor Bedard, the San Jose Sharks, who want to find their way back into contention, and the Anaheim Ducks all have the room to take a swing in the offseason and could put a lot of money on the table to try and bring him in.

Either way, I would guess the Maple Leafs and Marner head back to the negotiating table before free agency and push to get a deal done. He may be looking for north of $13 million annually, which could be tough for them to fit in, but it’s what he’s earned and should get on his next deal. Time will tell if he ends up staying or going, but for now, it’s safe to assume there isn’t any bad blood between management and Marner.

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