The latest report reveals that Mitch Marner and his camp have said no thank you to the latest offer by the Maple Leafs, as the superstar is looking for a huge raise.

Mitch Marner is having an outstanding season, individually and for the division-leading Toronto Maple Leafs, in which he’s scored 10 goals and 41 points in 31 games while showing skill and even adding a bit of an edge to his game this year.

But despite all the on-ice success, questions loom about his future with the club. There were reports the Leafs extended a contract offer recently that Mitch Marner’s camp said no to, per JD Bunkis.

“My understanding of what has happened with Marner is that actually now, they have tried to extend him a number, and he’s the one, and his camp is the ones, that are actually saying ‘yeah, we’re actually going to wait on this thing and see how it goes. We might want to be the ones that hit free agency.'”

– JD Bunkis

Currently earning $10.9 million annually, some believe that’s a fair figure of his worth, but if he reaches free agency, the open market could drive up that price much higher in a heartbeat.

Representatives for Marner and Leafs GM Brad Treliving know the stakes. It would be an expensive gamble to let Marner try free agency.

The risk is that either his price gets driven up beyond the Leafs’ means or, worse, he walks away with no return coming back to them. If the team is serious about keeping their star winger, they must act decisively before July to avoid an uphill battle.