The Toronto Maple Leafs suffered another early playoff exit earlier this month at the hands of their hated rivals, the Boston Bruins. Toronto has not made a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2002 and their latest loss has led to rumors of a full upheaval of the team’s present core.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe was already fired and replaced with Craig Berube. Now attention seems to have focused on star winger Mitch Marner.
The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli believes there is a single-digit percent chance Marner is still playing for Toronto come October. Now, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun shared his opinion that teams will soon be calling the Maple Leafs about Marner.
Marner, the team’s first-round selection in the 2015 draft, is heading into the final year of a six-year contract he signed before the 2019-20 campaign. He is the lone member of the team’s core, outside of the veteran John Tavares, not to sign a long-term extension with Toronto, making him the most likely to be on the move.
The 27-year-old winger had another productive season for the Maple Leafs, amassing 85 points (26g, 59a) in 69 games. However, Marner’s playoff production was lower than in past years, stoking rumors about a potential trade out of Toronto.
Marner’s current deal sees him paid a shade over $10.9 million against the cap. He will be eligible for extension talks this summer and most likely be in line for a raise despite how his 2023-24 season ended. The salary cap is set to increase by $4.2 million and players like Marner with three career 90-point seasons don’t grow on trees.
