Regardless of what happens in the playofs this year, all signs point towards the Toronto Maple Leafs re-signing Mitch Marner to a monster contract extension.
Whether you like him or not, Mitch Marner is already a top-five player in Toronto Maple Leafs history. His statistics speak for themselves and his elite defensive-play is what makes him one of the best forwards in the NHL.
If he was able to elevate his game so that he played with an edge, he'd be the most popular player in the history of the franchise, but the fact that he's skill-first, makes the fanbase question his work ethic. It's an unfair assesment because he's so good in every other category, but when the playoffs start, his style of play usually falters, as a result.
It's a very tough situation for the Leafs, because you have an 100-point player who is good on both ends of the ice, but when the playoffs start and the rink feels smaller, his game shrinks like the ice surface. He still has 50 points in 57 games so his stats are fine, but he's been essentially a B-level player when the team needs him at an A-plus level to win multiple playoff series.
However, at the end of the day, it feels like no matter what happens in the playoffs this year, the team is going to re-sign him. We've already seen them invest heavily into their other homegrown stars such as Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly, so I can't see them walking away from a player who is going to finish top-five in NHL scoring this year.
All signs point to the Maple Leafs re-signing Mitch Marner
If the Leafs fall in the First Round, re-signing Marner gives them a storyline in the playoffs that continues to give the fanbase hope. As much as the move may be criticized this summer, the fanbase will eventually forget all about it next December when Marner's on a 20-game point streak, dipsy-doodling around the ice.
At the same time, if the Leafs win one round, or multiple rounds, re-signing Marner looks like a smart move because it will continue to showcase that in order to win, he needs to be on the team. If Marner averages more than a point-per-game in the playoffs and the team goes on a deep run, then there shouldn't be a question about him returning, because clearly he's not the issue.
The past decade has shown us that no matter what happens in the playoffs, the Leafs have a hard time getting rid of legacy players like Matthews, Marner, and Nylander because I think the team is scared to lose them. There was roughly a 13-year lull where this team had no true superstar to build around, and now that they suddenly have four of them, they don't want to lose that star-power for free.
It feels like it's more of a business decision, then it is a hockey decision, which is incredibly scary when all you want your team to do is win. Whether it's the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights, or Colorado Avalanche, all these teams have traded or let some of their best players walk away in free agency and have gotten better as a result.
However, the Leafs are unfortunately not built that way, so regardless of what transpires over the next few months, expect Marner to not only re-sign in Toronto, but for it to be one of the richest contracts in NHL history.