After a summer of constant rumours surrounding his future and a year removed from unrestricted free sgency, Mitch Marner has reportedly been taking his offseason prep work seriously, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on the latest episode of 32 Thoughts the Podcast.
Friedman also added that the Maple Leafs’ All-Star winger has also spent some time throughout the summer training and sharing a line with two notable players.
32 Thoughts Friday news & information podcast. We go through every team. Lotsa tidbits. Great editing work from @CamJBarra, pinch-hitting for Dom. Back next Friday, then returning to our regular Monday/Friday schedule.
Enjoy!https://t.co/io7Mr1RceU
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) September 6, 2024
“I understand he has taken his summer extremely seriously. He knows this is all hovering around him, and he has been determined to have the best possible summer he can to be ready,” Friedman said. “I believe he’s in Vail (Colorado) this weekend with the likes of Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon. And at times, I understand he’s been on a line with them. We’ve talked on this pod before about, at a previous BioSteel camp, he played with McKinnon as linemates. And MacKinnon’s a big fan. I’ve heard he’s looked dynamite with Crosby and MacKinnon.”
That is quite some company to be spending some time during the offseason training with. Some may wonder if this has any connections with his future with the team but it is likely regarding the upcoming Four Nations Tournament where all three will likely make Team Canada’s roster.
Going back to Friedman’s initial report, it seems clear that Marner is going into this season with a huge chip on his shoulders. Since the Leafs were eliminated by the Bruins in Game 7, rumours began circulating about his future due to the team having committed to Auston Matthews and William Nylander, as well as John Tavares being unlikely to want to leave Toronto. It resulted in months-long speculation on whether or not it’s the right call to trade him and if so to where.
A hypothetical trade was never going to be easy since Marner’s contract has a no-movement clause and with a year left on his deal, he could easily just opt to play out the year before heading to free agency. But while an ugly exit is certainly possible, so too is the potential for him to ink an extension to keep him in the Blue and White indefinitely.
Friedman was asked by co-host Kyle Bukauskas if the two parties have had talks this summer regarding Marner re-signing. While Friedman is unsure if any formal offers have been presented, he says things have reportedly been “in and out” and both sides know where they stand.
“Last year, they had [Nylander] on the market all summer,” he said. “He was like, I don’t care, I’m gonna come out, I’m gonna have a great year, and they’re gonna have no choice but to sign me. And that’s exactly what happened. I think deep down, I think that’s what Marner wants to happen to.”
“[Darren Ferris] always believes in walking his guys to free agency unless you give him a reason not to. So I think [Marner] starts the year and we’ll see what happens. But everyone’s gonna regret it if he leaves. I don’t care about the playoff stuff, you always bet on talent.”
It makes total sense why Marner’s camp would want to try a similar approach to how Nylander ended up getting his extension since the two players are pretty comparable. The threat of letting him head to the open market will be an intriguing standoff to watch to see which side blinks first since Ferris has been notorious for pushing his clients right to the 11th hour regarding contract talks.
Worth noting in all of this is the fact that general manager Brad Treliving has been mum on making a long-term commitment to Marner as noted by his comments on the saga early in the offseason. By comparison, the Leafs GM made it known from the start of his tenure he would get an extension done for Matthews and Nylander. Of course, he could just be approaching the media tactically to avoid tipping his hand during the negotiations, but the disparity between Marner and his two teammates going into the last year of their respective contracts is nonetheless noteworthy.
Marner remains a divisive figure in Toronto because of all the noise surrounding him. Some are ready to pack his bags and bring him to Pearson while others still believe in his talent and that he has it in him to produce when it matters. Either way, the chatter will not subside until he proves his doubters wrong and puts on a performance in the playoffs akin to the likes of his childhood idol Doug Gilmour.
All of which is to say things remain status quo in regards to his future with the Leafs. For the time being, will go into the season without an extension and be plenty motivated to make the 2024-25 campaign a productive one. Whether that results in an extension or departure is unknown but it no doubt will be a key storyline to monitor this season.
