Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner cold-shouldered reporters on the eve of his team’s training camp but shortly after dropped an interview with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, making interesting revelations.
Marner has made it clear that he wants to extend his contract with Toronto, assuming it offers him a deal, even if it gets inked mid-season.
“That’s the whole goal [to stay with the Maple Leafs],” Marner said. “I’m passionate about this team, I’m passionate about this fan base.”
Amid trade rumors and playoff disappointments, the 27-year-old winger is entering the final year of his contract with a hefty $10.9 million cap hit.
While Marner initially shut down talk about his contract during his media availability this week, he later opened up about his willingness to negotiate a new deal during the 2024-25 season.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitchell Marner (16) during warm-up.
John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
It’s worth noting that Marner’s willingness to negotiate mid-season is uncommon. That said, there is a precedent in Toronto as teammate and fellow forward William Nylander also signed an extension midway through the 2023-24 regular season.
Marner also told Friedman that his focus is on helping the Maple Leafs succeed on the ice, leaving those in-season contract talks to his agent, Darren Ferris, and Leafs general manager, Brad Treliving.
“I think for my sake, unless it gets really important or [I’m] really needed, I’m going to let my agent and Brad do all the talking and figure stuff out,” Marner said. “I’m just going to focus on playing hockey and trying to help this team win games.”
The question remains whether Treliving is open to the idea of in-season negotiations.
The current Leafs core, including Marner, has faced criticism after failing to make a deep playoff run despite eight years of high expectations. Marner, who has 50 points in 57 career playoff games, has often found himself at the center of that criticism, especially following Toronto’s frequent early postseason exits.
Marner’s cap hit of nearly $11 million is the 12th-highest salary in the NHL. Considering an extension will probably raise that figure even further, it’s fair to assume the Leafs will give it proper consideration before handing an offer to the forward.
