Marner "happy" for contract talks with Leafs to be "quiet": report
Of all the members of the Toronto Maple Leafs facing pressure this upcoming season, Mitch Marner has to be at the top of that list.
But at least from a contract standpoint, Marner appears okay where things are right now between him and the only team he’s ever known since being drafted in 2015.
Hockey insider Darren Dreger joined TSN 1050’s First Up this morning to discuss Marner’s offseason and the chances of him getting a new deal in the near future with the Leafs.
“Marner’s putting in his time this summer. He’s ready to get going and prove that this year’s team is potentially going to be the best in a long, long time,” Dreger said. “I don’t get the sense that there’s contract pressure on Marner. He’s happy for it to be quiet. There’s good dialogue between his agent, Darren Ferris, and Brad Treliving. They’ve got a good relationship. But they’re not in heavy negotiations, and both sides are okay with that.”
Marner had 85 points in 69 games this year in the regular season but added just a goal and two assists in seven Leafs playoff games. He is heading into the final year of a six-year contract, with a cap hit of $10.93 million for next season, with the possibility of hitting unrestricted free agency next summer.
“I think they’re in a good place, but I don’t want to misconstrue that with the belief that an extension is looming, that it’s going to happen quickly,” Dreger added. “Obviously it’s going to be a top-of-mind big story from the beginning of training camp and to the day an extension is committed and announced. But, I don’t have the sense that’s going to happen anytime soon. I think both sides are okay with that. Marner knows this is yet another big year for that young leadership group and he’s a huge part of that.”
In the first 32 Thoughts episode with Kyle Bukauskas, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman revealed last week that Mitch Marner had travelled quite a distance to find his summer training ground with two of the game’s biggest stars.
“He knows this is all hovering around him, and he’s determined to have the best possible summer he can to be ready. He’s in Vail [Colorado] this weekend with the likes of Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon… He’s looked dynamite at this Vail camp. He’s taken this summer very seriously,” Friedman said.
Under two weeks remain until Toronto’s first preseason game against the Ottawa Senators on September 22.