One Key Factor to Play Major Role in Mitch Marner's Contract Negotiations, Per Insider Pierre Lebrun
NHL Analyst Pierre Lebrun revealed there is one key factor in determining whether Mitch Marner re-signs with the Maple Leafs.
Mitch Marner has been stellar so far for the Maple Leafs, and if you were to take the eye test, it looks like any contract discussions haven't distracted Marner any.
Leading the team in Auston Matthews' absence, Marner has proven why he is one of the league's best.
But according to NHL Insider Pierre Lebrun, the Maple Leafs have one big captain sized caveat in their journey to re-sign Mitch Marner.
Auston Matthews' Contract Is Causing the Maple Leafs Headaches
Auston Matthews is arguably the league's current top goal-scorer, and though he's had a slow start to this season and dealing with injuries, there's no denying he's a game-changer.
But he's also the NHL's second-highest-paid player behind Leon Draisaitl at $13.2M per season.
While there is no real argument as to whether or not Matthews' deserves it, the argument Marner's camp has is: Why not the same for Mitch?
Toronto historically does much worse with Marner out of the lineup as opposed to Matthews, and this season have enjoyed a 7-2-0 stretch while their captain was out.
It wasn't like Marner slouched either, putting up 15 points in that stretch, and leading Toronto with a newfound scoring touch.
But according to Lebrun, Marner's camp argues that while they can appreciate what Matthews has done, Marner is still deserving of a bigger contract:
While the Leafs likely want to keep Marner's contract below that number, his camp will argue that the rising salary cap justifies a higher deal."
It's hard to argue that Marner doesn't deserve more, as he's put together a very impressive NHL career thus far, even without the postseason success.
He has 668 points (203G, 465A) in 598 NHL games, and is currently fifth all-time for assists in Toronto, sixth all-time in points, and trails only Maple Leafs legend Doug Gilmour in assists per game with 0.78.
If Toronto doesn't think that Marner is on the same level as Matthews, even though history shows he is, there are several teams who could come in and pick Marner up for a ridiculous price that he can't ignore.
FAQ: Mitch Marner's Next Contract Demands
Q1: What is Mitch Marner demanding from Toronto?
A1: While not explicitly stated, those close to the situation have stated Marner's camp would more than likely try and argue Marner deserves as much as Matthews given the rising salary cap, and if not then he can find a team in free agency.
Q2: What is Mitch Marner's current contract?
A2: Mitch Marner is in the final year of the 6-year, $65M contract he signed in 2019 and is projected to earn anywhere from $12-14M per year for his next contract.
In closing, Mitch Marner's next contract is going to be huge, and it depends on whether Toronto values him as much as their captain, or if they are too blind to see just how important Marner has been to their success.
