Mitch Marner isn’t tipping his hand when it comes to a possible contract extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs. After clinching a playoff spot, the focus is shifting to a postseason run and how far the Maple Leafs can potentially go. A big part of their success will be based on how Marner plays. That same Marner is a pending UFA, and speculation is that he might test the market this summer.
Jonas Siegel of The Athletic spoke with Marner about the playoffs and his contract. In what likely feels like the typical answer a superstar might give when approached about his future, Marner responded, “I’m just here to play hockey.”
Is Marner Being Cautious About What He Says?
Likely being careful not to say anything that would make headlines for the wrong reasons, Marner uttered those lines a few times. The full quote from Siegel’s exclusive was as follows:
“I’m here to just play hockey. That’s what I expressed (to the media) at the start of the year and express now. It’s a business out there. I know what’s going on. I’m just here to play hockey. I’m here to enjoy everything and go through the ups and downs with these guys, and just take it day by day and try to help us win games.”
source – ‘Exclusive: Mitch Marner on playoff pressure, trade-deadline drama and contract talks’ – Jonas Siegel – The Athletic – 04/04/2025
While this isn’t the juicy response reporters love and fans get all worked up over, it is a fair response. Marner doesn’t want to talk about his contract or the negotiations his agent might currently be having with the team. The forward wants to focus on the games and winning them.
Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Stolarz, Woll, Marner, McCabe & Kampf
However, as some readers on the post pointed out, Marner could have given a more detailed response without spilling anything or painting himself into a corner.
What Marner Could Have Said
By saying what he did, Marner essentially keeps the conversation open. Instead of shutting down the chatter by saying he’s not going to talk about his contract because there are more important things on his mind, he instead went with, “That’ll come when that’ll come.”
Would the better response been to have shut down the questions going forward?
One reader wrote in the comments, “I get that he’s not media savvy, but it’s a very real problem that he can’t answer the most basic of questions. This was just a painful interview and gives the impression Marner is pretty fragile, or dumb, or both.” Another responded, “Or neither, and he just chooses to guard his words, as is his right.”
Another reader actually provided a mock response that Marner could have gone with. They suggested:
“Right now, my focus is on the season and playoffs. A contract will come in the summer. We will figure it out then, but for now it’s time to concentrate on the next game and get ready to make some noise in the playoffs.”
They went on to say that Marner could have sympathized with Leaf fans, who deserve to see a long playoff run and, hopefully, a Stanley Cup win.
Would that have been any better? Perhaps. Would it stop reporters from asking the question? Perhaps not. Despite the fact that a contract extension likely isn’t coming before the end of the season, it’s a hot topic in Toronto, where fans and media want to know what Marner is going to do. A solid playoff performance by the winger only ups his value around the NHL, and that potentially poses an issue for the organization.
At the end of the day, maybe that’s all Marner wants to do—let his play do the talking and produce to the point where he earns every penny he’s about to ask for.