Many know by now that the Toronto Maple Leafs’ super star winger Mitch Marner wants out of town. The 27-year-old phenom just completed the final season of his six-year, $65 million contract and reports say he is not looking to resign with the team that drafted him.
One insider, Sportsnet’s Eliotte Friedman, says conversations aren’t even taking place between the super stars management and his current team.
“Marner’s camp is not engaged with them. And I think everybody knows the way this is going to be heading — that on July 1, he’s gonna go out there, he’s gonna hit the market, he’s gonna pick a team, he’s gonna set a contract, and he’s not coming back to Toronto,” Friedman said.
The original report came on Friday night when a rinkside reporter for the FanDuel Sports Network posted on X that Marner would not be returning.
“Can confirm Mitch Marner will not be returning to Toronto. Will be playing for a new team come next season,” Andy Strickland’s post read.
Why Marner Wants Out Of Toronto
The last time we heard from Mitch Marner was on May 20th after the Maple Leafs were eliminated in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Florida Panthers. An understandably emotional Marner addressed the media, saying he does not know what comes next for him.
“I think like everyone, saddened, devastated in a way, yeah, I mean it’s not easy,” Marner said when asked how the loss and the contract situation has impacted him and his family. “It’s hard. I’ve loved being here, I’m so grateful, but I haven’t talked to my family yet. It’s still so fresh.”
Many experts believe the Leafs are at a cross road. Like Marner, his current teammate, John Tavares, is up for a contract extension come July as well. Tavares is the second line center who brings much needed goal scoring depth to a front loaded roster. His contract will likely be somewhere in the five or six million dollar range, a significant decrease from his current inking that saw him bringing in $11 million a year for the last seven years.
Even so, the general consensus is that the Maple Leafs are not going to be interested in playing ball with Marner. Marner is in for a massive deal, expected to surpass $100 million, and the Leafs do not seem to want to be the ones signing it.
Marner’s Complicated Relationship With Toronto
At the end of the day, it could be more than the money that makes Marner want a fresh start. The most known incident in Toronto came in 2022, when Marner and his wife came face-to-face with a criminal who then stole his car. A scary incident that left Marner shaken up for weeks.
Just last month after Marner and the Leafs were eliminated from the playoffs, stories emerged of Marner’s property being vandalized. This is a man with a wife and kids who has perhaps had his relationship with the city of Toronto tarnished beyond repair.
Obviously Toronto takes their hockey very seriously, and it is entirely possible that the young star wants to be somewhere where these kinds of incidents are obsolete.
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