The future of Toronto Maple Leafs‘ star forward Mitch Marner is a major talking point ahead of his looming free agency.
Marner is in the final year of his six-year, $65.41 million deal, and his future with the Maple Leafs is up in the air. Ahead of his free agency on July 1, he did a one-on-one interview with The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel. After the interview, Siegel said he felt less sure that Marner would re-sign with the Maple Leafs.
“I left the conversation less sure he wants to stay than before. Now, that’s just reading between the lines, only he knows what he’s thinking,” Siegel said on OverDrive on April 4. “Obviously, the playoffs will have a lot to do with everything, but I probably went into that 50-50 as to whether he stays or goes. I left it on the more he might leave. That’s just reading between the lines, I gave him chances to explain why things are the way they are and why things played out. When you hear him, just keep repeating I’m here to play hockey.”
Siegel believes the Maple Leafs asking Marner to waive his no-trade clause in a potential deal at the deadline will likely impact his decision. He also believes the fans making him the scapegoat year in and year out has also taken a toll, and he’s over it.
Marner leads the Maple Leafs in points this season, as he has 24 goals and 69 assists for 93 points in 74 games.
Marner Just Focused on Playing Hockey
At the trade deadline, Toronto asked Marner to waive his no-trade clause, which he declined.
Now, nearly a month since then, Marner says he isn’t focused on that and instead is just focused on hockey.
“I’m here to just play hockey,” Marner said to The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel. “That’s what I expressed (to the media) at the start of the year and express now. It’s a business out there. I know what’s going on. I’m just here to play hockey. I’m here to enjoy everything and go through the ups and downs with these guys, and just take it day by day and try to help us win games.”
As for any extension talks, Marner says those have been tabled as he just wants to focus on the season and the playoffs.
“No, I mean, I’m here to play hockey,” Marner responded. Then he added notably of the contract: “That’ll come when that’ll come… “I haven’t looked at it (in) any sort of way. Like I said, I’m here to play hockey. That’s what I’m here to do. I’ll leave it at that.”
Maple Leafs GM Wants to Re-Sign Marner
Although Toronto looked to trade Marner, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving is adamant the team wants to keep him.
“We’re aligned with Mitch, we’re worried about this season. We’re worried about the games we have coming up. We want Mitch here for a long time,” Treliving said on March 9. “It’s not a distraction, but like I said we think the world of him. But, it’s just not a question we’re going to get into every day.”
Marner has spent his entire NHL career with the Maple Leafs after Toronto selected him fourth overall in 2015.
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