Top Insider Bob McKenzie Reveals What is Likely to Happen With Mitch Marner Over the Coming Months
NHL Insider Bob McKenzie gave a lot of insight regarding the future of Mitch Marner as a Maple Leaf and it doesn't bode well for hopeful fans.
There's two major factors the Maple Leafs have to deal with right now: The trade deadline and Mitch Marner's contract. With a lot of questions regarding both, Brad Treliving's job is anything but an envious one.
But for NHL Insider Bob McKenzie, he believes the road to re-signing Marner is going to be a much tougher path for the Maple Leafs to navigate.
Speaking during the intermission of Sunday's broadcast between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Toronto Maple Leafs, McKenzie touched on the Marner situation a bit more:
Players like Marner are difficult to come by and if you don't do well in the playoffs you gotta keep working at it, I know Leafs' fans don't like to hear that but I would try to sign him.
With the unfortunate news that McKenzie thinks Marner is skipping town, is there any way the Leafs can get Marner to stick around?
How Toronto Can Keep Mitch Marner
Well, first off they can stop being so bullish that Auston Matthews is their best player because Marner has shown he's worth at least the same amount as Matthews.
Toronto is clearly set on setting some internal salary cap on Auston Matthews' contract and are refusing to pay anyone more than $13.25M.
But do they want to keep a commitment to a player so easily put on the shelf?
Don't forget who helped carry the Maple Leafs through two IR stints for the captain, and it was Marner that was the glue that kept the team afloat.
In 55 games, Marner has 16 goals and 55 assists while averaging 21:31 TOI.
He's missed only one game this season, and while he has dealt with injuries; it's nothing like Matthews.
The biggest knock on Marner is his production in the playoffs, but he has 50 points in 57 games, and is on par with both Matthews and William Nylander but Mitch has proven he can produce when it matters, as he was the catalyst that helped Canada win the 4 Nations Finals.
Giving Marner a contract that's above Matthews but not as egregious as Leon Draisaitl shouldn't be such a problem and the fact Toronto is worried about a few hundred thousand dollars difference is a bit perplexing for the NHL's most profitable team.
Marner deserves more than Matthews, and paying him $13.75M is a respectable increase from his current salary, it's more than Matthews but only slightly, and will become cheaper as the cap rises.
There's also the case of Marner just announcing he was going to be a father, does he want to up and move his family only a couple of months away from the expected due date?
That's only known to Marner and his family, which we won't have an idea of how they feel until closer to free agency.
Bob McKenzie believes the Maple Leafs are going to relent and let Mitch Marner walk, but there are certain ways to get him to stick around.
The only question is: Can they afford it?
![Feb 20, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) shakes hands with Team Canada forward Sidney Crosby (87) after overtime win by Team Canada during the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images](https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/medium/531510.webp "Feb 20, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) shakes hands with Team Canada forward Sidney Crosby (87) after overtime win by Team Canada during the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images")
