Mitch Marner is in the final year of his six-year $65.41 million deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs and all signs point to him going to free agency.
Marner was the subject of trade rumors last summer, but he stayed and has been Toronto’s best player.
Now, with Marner in the final year of his deal, TSN NHL insider Bob McKenzie revealed all signs point to the winger going to the open market.
“Players like Marner are difficult to come by, and if you don’t do well in the playoffs, you gotta keep working at it. I know Leafs fans don’t like to hear that, but I would try to sign him,” McKenzie said on The Quiz on TSN. “I don’t think it will happen, I think he’s much more likely to go to free agency, and I think the Leafs understand that. But, do I think they will try? Absolutely.”
If Marner does go to free agency he could be the top free agent available. Marner has skated in 56 games recording 16 goals and 55 assists for 71 points .
Insider Explains Why Marner is Likely to Hit Open Market
After McKenzie’s comment, fellow TSN NHL insider Darren Dreger also agrees that Marner will likely hit the open market.
Dreger says Marner’s agent, Darren Ferris is a tough negotiator and is known to take his clients to the open market to see their true value.
“Look, Brad Treliving as GM he doesn’t have to play by the rules of Darren Ferris, the agent,” Dreger said on First Up . “He can go directly to Mitch, he can go to Ferris and say ‘I need an answer. We need to get into negotiations. I’ve been very patient in waiting, and we didn’t want to disrupt Marner, we want his focus to be on playing.’ He’s had a hell of a year, he has…
“I don’t believe you’ll have certainty by the 7th of March, but the GM can put pressure on the player or on the agent… It makes the most sense to Feris to get these top players to free agency and get a fair analysis of what the market plays,” Dreger concluded.
Marner is a three-time NHL All-Star and helped Canada win the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Maple Leafs’ Marner Says 4 Nations Grew His Confidence
The knock on Marner throughout his career is his playoff performances, especially in Game 6 and Game 7s.
However, Marner played well in the 4 Nations tournament, as he scored the OT winner against Sweden. He also set up the game-winner in OT to win the tourney, which he says will give him confidence going into the playoffs.
“Confidence. Belief, also, in a way,” Marner said . “I’ll try to take this the rest of the season and moving forward.”
Team Canada coach and Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper also thinks Marner is a difference-maker on the ice.
“That kid can make plays,” Cooper said. “He just needed one chance to make a play, and he did.”
Marner was selected fourth overall in the 2015 NHL draft.
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