REPORT: Maple Leafs Make an Offer to Re-Sign $65 Million Forward
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs are gearing up to present Mitch Marner with a contract offer to retain him on the team. Despite ongoing trade rumors since the season ended, Marner, who has one year left on his six-year $65.4 million deal signed in 2019 and holds a full no-movement clause, has reportedly shown openness to potential trades to certain teams.
However, on June 28, during his 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman indicated that Toronto is focused on extending Marner, stating, “I’m going to avoid diving into the contentious topic of Mitch Marner, but I do believe they are preparing to extend him.”
Friedman’s revelation marks a shift from earlier speculation suggesting Toronto was leaning towards trading the talented winger. Last season with the Maple Leafs, Marner tallied 26 goals and 59 assists for 85 points in 69 regular-season games. He added 1 goal and 2 assists across 7 playoff games for Toronto. Throughout his career, Marner has accumulated 194 goals and 445 assists, totaling 639 points in 576 regular-season appearances.
Marner becomes eligible to ink a contract extension with the Maple Leafs starting July 1.
Marner Says He Wants to Remain in Toronto
Following the Toronto Maple Leafs’ elimination by the Boston Bruins in the first round, Mitch Marner expressed his desire to continue playing for his hometown team. Born and raised in the Greater Toronto Area, Marner emphasized the significance of representing the Maple Leafs, a team he has deep personal ties to.
“That’d be a goal. I’ve expressed my love for this place. Obviously, I’ve grown up here so we’ll start thinking about that now and try to figure something out. It means the world (to be a Maple Leaf), we’re looked upon as, you know, kind of Gods here to be honest,” Marner conveyed to the media on May 6.
He further elaborated on the unique bond between the team and its fanbase, drawing parallels to the enduring support seen with other Toronto sports teams like the Raptors.
“It’s something that you really appreciate and the love that you get here from this fanbase and this tension is kind of not unlike any other. You saw it with the Raptors a couple of years ago, the love that they still have for a lot of those players that they had to trade off this year. And that’s kind of the love you want,” Marner added.
Drafted fourth overall by the Maple Leafs in the 2015 NHL draft, Marner’s connection to Toronto adds a personal dimension to his commitment to the team.
Maple Leafs GM Not Paying Attention to Marner Rumors
Entering the NHL offseason, Mitch Marner has been a focal point of numerous trade rumors and speculative mock trades. Despite the buzz surrounding his future, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving addressed the media, emphasizing that he is not focused on the swirling rumors surrounding Marner.
Brad Treliving on how he manages all of the Mitch Marner rumours: "I'd caution us to not pay too much attention to some of the noise. We can't react to all of the noise. … Mitch knows how I feel about him as a player."
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 26, 2024
According to Chris Johnston, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving cautioned against giving too much weight to the trade rumors surrounding Mitch Marner, stating, “I’d caution us to not pay too much attention to some of the noise. We can’t react to all of the noise. … Mitch knows how I feel about him as a player.”
Marner is slated to earn $10.9 million for the 2024-25 NHL season.