The Toronto Maple Leafs continue their streak of not signing Mitch Marner to a contract.
The Toronto Maple Leafs third best player is without contract as his agent seeks to extort exuberant sums of money in exchange for his services.
The problem – as has been clear from the start – is that Marner is not being realistic about his value, and he’s making a mistake.
A big one.
Nikita Kucherov recently signing an eight year extension with Tampa that has a cap-hit of $9.5 million should make Marner embarrassed for asking for the same cap hit as Matthews.
Let’s try to do some simple math:
Has Mitch Marner won a scoring title?
Has he been the best player in a President’s Trophy Winning team?
Has he scored 40 goals in a season?
Has he won a Hart Trophy?
Cause if not, I am not sure how he can ask for a contract that starts in the same year as Kucherov’s but which pays him more.
Yes, he’s a little younger, so perhaps based on his potential, if he was to sign for eight years, he would deserve a bit more.
But probably not the two million dollars he’s asking for. (And he supposedly refuses to go beyond five years).
Mitch Marner Maddens Maniacs
The maniacs in question here are us – the people discussing and reading about hockey in July and August. And we’re getting mad.
This is stupid.
When Nylander held out, I think he had a legitimate concern that by being the first to sign out of the Big Three, that he was going to get ripped off.
(And if Marner signed for $9.5 million, which he apparently thinks is too low, then Nylander would be playing for $2.5 million less than a player who has shown to be his equal in 5v5 play).
So it turns out Nylander was right to be wary.
But what is Marner’s problem?
He plays for his hometown team, a team which is poised to enter the season with the best roster in the NHL, and he is arguably the most beloved athlete in the city in which he plays and was born.
So why risk it all for a couple of extra bucks you don’t even need? This is such nonsense.
Mitch Marner – a winger and the (generously) third best player on his team is requesting – allegedly, it must be said – to be paid like the league’s third highest per/minute point producer, and $2 million more than the league’s reining best player (who plays the same position).
It seems a bit greedy.
He’s coming off like a jerk.
If we’re being honest, he seems like an immature kid who’s getting extremely bad advice.
In the past I’ve advocated that the Toronto Maple Leafs should just pay him and get it over with – even if it’s an overpayment. I stand by that, but with the caveat that any overpayment comes with an eight year deal.
If the rumours of Marner looking for a three year deal are true, then I think he should just be embarrassed about the money he’s asking for.
It appears that Marner is making the mistake of putting money ahead of possible success.
What the Toronto Maple Leafs have the potential to do is build a dynasty and win three to five Stanley Cups – the potential to be special is there, and Marner is risking it all for greed.