Toronto Maple Leafs struggling and unpopular GM Brad Treliving had a horrible summer last year but made up for it by signing Auston Matthews to one of the best contracts in the NHL.
This summer the Toronto Maple Leafs GM wasn't much better, but again he could make up for it by re-signing one of his best players.
The Mitch Marner Situation has gone on long enough, and it's clear he isn't being traded. Therefore he needs to be signed. But not eventually, right now.
Signing Mitch Marner has to be the Leafs biggest priority because letting him enter the final season of his contract without an extension is completely incompetent. It would be one of the worst moves in the history of a franchise that is known for them.
Not signing Mitch Marner before the season starts is incompetent and negligent
Mitch Marner would have four straight 100 points seasons if not for injuries and Covid. He is well on his way to being the second-best player in the history of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Leafs can't lose him for nothing, it's not even an option. To do so would be the worst thing to ever happen to this franchise, outside of tragedies and other acts of fate. It would be the worst self-destructive action in team history, at least.
The Leafs also can't face an entire 82 game schedule with questions about Marner's contract and where he is playing next year coming up after every game and practice. Has anyone ever noticed the media environment the Leafs play in? Of course they have. And therefore it should go without saying that having the second-best player in franchise history walking to free-agency would be a massive distraction.
Also, the longer they wait, the more the price goes up. Signing Marner now is cheaper than signing him after the season.
Now you might think it's not that big of a deal because they let Nylander enter last season without a deal and they signed him in-season to a great extension. Well, for one, Nylander was playing out of his mind and the Leafs signed him at the worst possible moment, giving him the most money it was possible for Nylander to squeeze out of them.
But Nylander isn't Marner and he never will be. The distraction level for Marner will be thousands of times more than it was for Nylander. This is something that needs to be done in the next week or two. What is taking so long? Going into the season without signing Marner is negligent. Treliving has been bad, but this would potentially take his performance to a low previously only seen by John Ferguson Junior and David Nonis.