The Toronto Maple Leafs need to re-sign Mitch Marner.
After a prolonged fight with William Nylander last season, the Toronto Maple Leafs look to be on the verge of another dust-up.
But more importantly, I have finally achieved my lifelong goal of using the word “Tizzy” in a title.
Way to go Jim!
Leafs and Marner
The Leafs would like to sign Marner, but Marner wants to be paid like Matthews.
Kypreos on 590:
— #1 A'Ja Wilson Fan (@Account4hockey) June 18, 2019
Karlsson and Skinner deal means Marner will only take 11M+. No progress is being made. Marner's camp feels an offersheet will be there. Leafs are going to up their offer before/at the draft one last time and then call their bluff on the offersheet.
While this has sent everyone overboard, arguing whether or not Marner is worth the money, I think it’s important to remember that these are just media negotiations.
And that one of these sides is well known for leaking to the media, and the other side is well known for letting nothing leak out. Ever. So take what you hear with a gigantic grain of salt.
Of course the Leafs don’t want to pay him.
Of course Marner is going to ask for whatever he feels he is worth.
Of course he’ll use whatever leverage he has (which isn’t much for RFAs so the offer-sheet thing is the best gambit he has).
That is how negotiations work.
But despite the high tensions, this is the best player the Leafs ever drafted (prior to drafting Matthews), who scored 94 points in his age 21 season, and who is well on his way to eclipsing Doug Gilmour, Wendel Clark, Dave Keon, Darryl Sittler and Borje Salming as the most beloved player in franchise history.
He’s going to sign.
There will be no offersheet.
There will be no protracted negotiations.
Eventually, everyone is going to agree that the best situation for both parties is that they make a deal, and then a deal will get done.
Of course everyone is nervous – not only did the Nylander dispute damn near derail the entire season, but Marner is twice as important and three times as loved.
So it’s understandable that every news report sends the entirety of “Leafs Nation” into absolutely madness.
But it’s just no necessary.
The Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t dumb enough to think four draft picks is a good trade for a player they haven’t replicated with 30 or 40 previous picks
They also aren’t dumb enough to lose one of their best all-time players over half a Connor Brown or two-thirds of a Ron Hainsey.
I absolutely, 100%, guarantee that cooler heads will prevail. It’s in everyone’s best interest – including mine – to hype this to the max. Will he? Won’t he?
When when when?
Just relax. Marner isn’t going anywhere. He just wants to get paid. With Jeff Skinner getting bizzaro money, it’s hard to say he doesn’t deserve it – he is, after all, just 22 and hasn’t even had his best year yet.
Eventually – and I’m guessing tomorrow – Mitch Marner will sign a contract extension and the Toronto Maple Leafs will go on to win the Stanley Cup.
Nothing to see here.