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Toronto Maple Leafs Roundtable: The Marner Saga

By Mike Stephens

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 21: Mitch Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates during the third period against the Boston Bruins during Game Six of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Scotiabank Arena on April 21, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 21: Mitch Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates during the third period against the Boston Bruins during Game Six of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Scotiabank Arena on April 21, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON- APRIL 15 – Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Mitchell Marner (16) grimaces after blocking a shot in the final seconds as the Toronto Maple Leafs play the Boston Bruins in game three of the first round play-off series in Toronto. April 15, 2019. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON- APRIL 15 – Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Mitchell Marner (16) grimaces after blocking a shot in the final seconds as the Toronto Maple Leafs play the Boston Bruins in game three of the first round play-off series in Toronto. April 15, 2019. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images) /

The Toronto Maple Leafs have one gigantic headache at the moment.

His name? Mitch Marner. Or, more specifically, Mitch Marner’s agent and father.

Like it or not, Toronto’s entire offseason hinges on the specifics of Marner’s contract. The price tag he eventually signs for is the key to determining how much space Kyle Dubas will have to retain the various other free agents on his roster set to hit the open market. Marner is not the only person who plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs, after all, no matter what the media leads us to believe.

Frankly, this situation could go in any number of directions. Maybe Marner relents and signs for a team-friendly number. Maybe he signs an offer sheet for a ludicrous amount of money and the Maple Leafs let him walk. Maybe, in an effort to get ahead of another mid-season contract stalemate, Dubas cashes in on Marner’s value and trades him. The possibilities are endless!

So, on this week’s roundtable, the EIL staff put their heads together to answer the question:

What will happen with the Mitch Marner situation? 

The answers may very well shock you. Or not. I don’t actually know you.

My Take

Personally, I don’t care. I really don’t. Sorry if that isn’t the type of analysis you expected.

As I wrote a few weeks back, the public outcry from a group of fans urging the Leafs to break the bank for Marner is one of the most hypocritical developments in this team’s history. Less than a calendar year ago, these very same individuals raked William Nylander over the coals for doing THE EXACT SAME THING Marner is doing today; securing his financial future.

Coming out of their respective second NHL seasons, Marner and Nylander had almost identical production rates. They both benefited from playing alongside a superstar centre, and the only difference in their third go-arounds is that Nylander missed 30 games before being stuck alongside Patrick Marleau upon return, whereas Marner was entrenched as John Tavares‘ running mate both at even strength and on the power play.

One player was given an inherent advantage right from the onset, and one was forced to catch up on the fly. And yet, based on (clearly motivated) reports, the advantageous player feels “disrespected”.

Yeah, okay.

Listen, Mitch Marner grew up as a die-hard Leafs fan. He loves playing for this team, loves living in this city, and assuredly loves cashing the countless endorsement cheques which are afforded to him by doing both. Call me crazy, but I find it highly doubtful that he intends to throw that all away over what will be a difference of $1.5 million per season in Carolina.

These public declarations to push negotiations past July 1st, entertain other teams in the RFA interview period, or anticipate receiving an offer sheet are simply posturing tactics by an agent with a track record of pulling stuff exactly like this.

Marner will be a Leaf next season. It all comes down to when his agent chooses to realize that.

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