Toronto Maple Leafs star forward Auston Matthews has praised teammate Mitch Marner for the way he’s handled the adversity throughout the summer.
Since Toronto was eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Boston Bruins, Marner has been the subject of trade rumors. Yet, Toronto decided not to move him, and at the opening day of training camp on September 18, Matthews had nothing but positive things to say about Marner.
“He’s dealt with it great,” Matthews said on September 18. “I think he’s had a great summer, I think with all the noise, you can only control so much. He’s put in a lot of work. He looks great on the ice, off the ice, focused. We are all here to support him as teammates and as a team. I don’t think that stuff has affected him or will affect him much at all. He’s an amazing teammate, an amazing person, and a great player for our team. Looking forward to playing with him again.”
It was high praise from Matthews towards his teammate and friend. It no doubt has been tough on Marner to be the center of attention all summer involving his future with the team. But, Matthews is pleased with the way the skilled winger has handled the adversity.
Marner Won’t Comment on Contract Status
At media day on September 18 which opens Maple Leafs training camp, Marner shut down any talks on his future with the team.
Before Marner allowed any questions from the media, he said he wouldn’t be answering any questions on his contract.
“Obviously, there’s going to be some contract questions, but I’m not here to talk about that,” Marner said. “Like I said in the captaincy media availability. I’m very happy to be a Maple Leafs. It’s an unbelievable privilege, but I’m not here to talk about that (his contract); I’m here to talk about the season and getting going.”
Marner is entering the final year of his six-year $65.41 million deal with the Maple Leafs.
Maple Leafs GM Happy With Modest Offseason Moves
Despite the front office saying everything would be on the table this offseason, the Maple Leafs didn’t make any franchise-altering moves.
Instead, Toronto went out and signed Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Anthony Stolarz in free agency. The Maple Leafs also hired Craig Berube to be their new head coach. Despite not making any big moves, general manager Brad Treliving is happy with what he accomplished.
“I know sometimes people fall in love with ‘let’s make a big change just to make a big change,’” Treliving told TSN’s “OverDrive” on August 14. “But at the end of the day, you can go out and make big changes, if they’re not making your team better, to me it doesn’t make any sense…
“To me, every once in a while you try and hit a home run,” Treliving added. “The reality is whether it be our business or any other business, you keep trying to hit some singles right? Hit some singles, pick away at different things to alter the group, to push it forward.”
The Maple Leafs will open its 2024-25 NHL season on the road on October 9 against the Montreal Canadiens.
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