Mitch Marner will not be back with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season, according to a new report.
“Can confirm Mitch Marner will not be returning to Toronto. Will be playing for a new team come next season,” says longtime St. Louis-based hockey reporter Andy Strickland.
The Leafs have until July 1 to re-sign the Markham, Ontario native before he is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent. Marner is expected to cash in big this summer, as he is the best player available in free agency.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period listed Carolina, Columbus, Los Angeles, Utah, Vegas, and Anaheim as teams he expects will have high interest in landing Marner. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, meanwhile, has said he expects Marner will sign with a Western Conference team if he does indeed leave Toronto.
Marner is coming off a 102-point regular season, and he added 13 points in 13 games in the playoffs. But despite 63 points in 70 career playoff games, the 28-year-old isn’t viewed as a big-game player by many.
The Maple Leafs are the only NHL team Marner has known, after being drafted by Toronto in 2015. Marner has played all 657 of his NHL games wearing blue and white, and ranks fifth all-time in Leafs franchise scoring with 741 points.
It does finally seem like the Leafs will break up the Core Four, but will that include John Tavares, who is also eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on Canada Day?
Strickland did add that he believes letting Marner walk could “open the door” to Tavares returning.
The Leafs will have options this summer, and that could include an arch nemesis or two. Sam Bennett will be costly, but if the Holland Landing, Ontario native leaves the Florida Panthers this summer, perhaps he would welcome signing with his hometown team.
And what about Brad Marchand? The Halifax native grew up a Leafs fan and NHL insider Pierre LeBrun said in a recent article in The Athletic that he believes Toronto “among the possibilities” for Marchand.
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