Based on all the reports that have surfaced in recent weeks, it sounds like a foregone conclusion that Mitch Marner will be wearing a different jersey by the time the 2025-26 season rolls around. The pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) and the Toronto Maple Leafs enjoyed some great regular seasons together, but it feels at this time that a split is best between the two parties.
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Losing Marner will certainly sting for the Maple Leafs, as he has been one of the NHL’s more productive wingers since entering the NHL in 2016-17. That regular season success never amounted to anything come playoff time, however, which is why it appears the two parties are heading their separate ways.
From Marner’s perspective, wanting to head elsewhere makes plenty of sense. Toronto is undoubtedly the most talked-about hockey market in the NHL. The pressure that comes with so much attention from both fans and media is certainly not easy to deal with at times, and nobody has faced more criticism and scrutiny with this Maple Leafs core than Marner.
That said, there are even more reasons for the Maple Leafs to walk away from Marner. This is a player who is reportedly eying an even bigger pay day than his current $10.9 million cap hit. That’s a lot of money to shell out to someone who is not on the good side of the fan base, and would be better spent elsewhere in order to try and turn around the organization’s playoff failures.
Marner Not Worth the Money He Will Get
It sounds as though a new contract for Marner could start as high as $12 million, while other reports have suggested he is looking to get $14 million annually. That is an absurdly high number given that his teammate, Auston Matthews, had the highest cap hit in the NHL this past season at $13.25 million. Next up was Nathan MacKinnon at $12.6 million, while Connor McDavid rounded out the top three at $12.5 million.
As of now, Leon Draisaitl is set to command the highest cap hit in the NHL in 2025-26 at $14 million. If that is indeed the same number Marner is going for, it’s unfathomable to imagine a team actually hands it to him. Even just this past season he was the 11th highest paid player in the league, and his playoff stats indicate he should be nowhere near the top in regards to salary.
While Draisaitl’s cap hit is certainly a big one moving forward, he elevates his game to new heights in the playoffs. He’s helped lead the Edmonton Oilers to two straight Stanley Cup Finals, including this current run where he has 11 goals (four overtime winners) and 33 points in 21 games. He’s logged 95 career playoff games and has an absurd 52 goals and 141 points. He is very deserving of his contract. Marner, meanwhile, isn’t remotely in the same category.
The 28-year-old struggled for the Maple Leafs yet again in the playoffs this year, scoring two goals and 13 points through 13 games. Despite being well over a point-per-game player throughout the regular season over his nine-year career, he has just 13 goals and 63 points through 70 playoff games. Those aren’t horrendous numbers by any stretch, but would fall in line more so with a $10 million player rather than the contract he’s believed to be seeking.
There is more than enough of a sample size proving that Marner cannot be the go-to guy for a team in the playoffs if they hope to win a Stanley Cup. He wasn’t even viewed as the top guy in Toronto, yet still failed to make much of anything happen on the big stage. Making that type of player the potentially second-highest paid in the NHL is a major recipe for disaster.
Marner Lacks a Winning Mentality
Marner has gained a reputation as a player who seems to care more about the money than winning, and him reportedly eying the contract he is doesn’t help remove that reputation. A player like Draisaitl earned the right to do so, which is why nobody is questioning his upcoming extension. Had Marner wanted to remove that reputation, he could have done so by taking a discount to remain in Toronto. Instead, he seems to have his eyes set on nothing other than the money.
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It’s unfortunate to see how things have played out with Marner given the fact that he truly is an elite talent. That said, he falters on the big stage, and will almost certainly continue to be a disappointment for whichever team winds up giving in and paying him the amount he’s looking to get in free agency.
