Former NHLer and current Spittin’ Chiclets podcast host Paul Bissonnette says he’s hearing that the Toronto Maple Leafs are in talks to extend Mitch Marner.
Marner is entering the final year of the six-year $65.4 million deal he signed with the Maple Leafs back in 2019. With Marner entering the final year of his deal, he has been the subject of trade rumors.
However, Bissonnette says he’s heard that the Maple Leafs are in talks with Marner to extend him.
“I am hearing rumblings there in the process of negotiating Mitch Marner’s new contract,” Bissonnette said on Spittin’ Chiclets on June 18… “That was a rumor boys thing, and I heard he was going to get the extension.”
If Toronto does extend Marner it would be a bit of a surprise given all the trade rumors surrounding him since the Maple Leafs were eliminated from the playoffs.
Marner is coming off a year where he recorded 26 goals and 59 assists for 85 points in 69 games. However, in the playoffs, the winger struggled as he recorded just 1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points in seven games.
Marner has been with the Maple Leafs since Toronto drafted him fourth overall in the 2015 NHL draft.
Bissonnette Not a Fan of the Maple Leafs Extending Marner
Bissonnette, who is a Maple Leafs fan, says he wouldn’t be a fan of the team extending Marner.
The former NHLer thinks Toronto will likely overpay with Marner who will want a raise on the $10.9 million he’s set to make next season. However, Bissonnette thinks Marner should have to take a pay cut if he is going to remain with Toronto.
“If they overpay him and give him $11.5 or $12 (million) again it is (expletive) absurd, with not making him play out the year and then show me what you can do in the playoffs. If you demand $11.5-12 million you need to be dominant in playoffs and we have never seen that next level from him,” Bissonnette added.
Bissonnette thinks Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving is likely scared of losing a Mitch Marner trade that he would rather re-sign him. But, the former NHLer doesn’t think Marner should be brought back due to the lack of playoff success he and the team have had.
Toronto GM Reportedly Prefers to Re-Sign Marner
Since the Maple Leafs were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, all signs pointed to Marner being traded.
However, on June 17, TSN NHL insider Darren Dreger appeared on TSN 1050’s First Up and reported that the Maple Leafs do prefer to re-sign Marner.
“Are we so sure Toronto doesn’t want to extend Mitch? I’m not. I think Treliving would rather extend [Marner] than trade. But they’re not having those discussions yet either. It’s still early, it’s very premature across the board,” Dreger said.
Dreger also believes Marner’s preference is to remain with the Maple Leafs past this season and sign a contract extension.
“I believe, based on the people I’ve talked to–and again, as we’re having this conversation, Marner’s preference is to play out his contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. It doesn’t mean he’s going to walk out the door after next year, that doesn’t mean it at all,” Dreger said. “Of course, there’s risk of that because he’d be a pending unrestricted free agent. That’s not the perfect position for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but Marner negotiated his deal in good faith, including the no-move clause.”
Marner does have a full no-movement clause in his contract, so if he doesn’t want to be traded he won’t be.
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