By now, everyone around the NHL has heard the report from Elliotte Friedman regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs being in on trade talks with the Carolina Hurricanes for Mikko Rantanen. Friedman revealed some interesting details. He reported late yesterday afternoon that the Hurricanes were asking for Mitch Marner in return for Rantanen.
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Since Marner has a no-movement clause, the Maple Leafs’ front office, led by Brad Treliving, needed to do their due diligence and ask Marner if he would be willing to waive his no-movement clause (NMC) to go to Carolina. Obviously, he refused to waive his NMC because he wanted to stay as a member of the Maple Leafs. With him being a pending free agent as of July 1, this could be an indication that he has a desire to stay with the organization and will sign long-term.
Does Marner Want to Sign Long-Term?
Well, with no clear answer to this question, many would assume that him not wanting to waive to go to Carolina at the deadline could show his desire to stay with the Maple Leafs long-term. All things being equal, it feels like Marner is going to stay with his boyhood team. He grew up cheering for Toronto, he was drafted by them, and the idea of him being one of, if not the greatest Maple Leaf of all time when his career is over could be the biggest reason as to why he re-signs with the organization.
Now, there could be a chance that Marner just didn’t want to go to Carolina, and that is why he didn’t agree to waive. However, based on the information that Friedman put into his report, it could tell a different story. Friedman wrote: “As is his right, Marner declined to move, reiterating his desire to stay.” After the game against the Colorado Avalanche on March 9, Marner was asked by the Toronto media about Friedman’s report. Marner had some interesting answers to the questions being asked.
The first question that was asked was: (courtesy of Mark Masters of TSN)
Was Marner surprised to be approached about a trade?
“I wasn’t focused on it. You know, I’m sure that I had a feeling that maybe something might happen, but I’m here to play hockey with this team, like I said, & I’m focused with this team & that’s what I can tell you.”
The second question that was asked was: (courtesy of Mark Masters of TSN)
Does Mitch Marner envision himself being a Leaf next season?
“I’m not going to get into this contract stuff. I’ve been very grateful & I’ve loved my time being a Leaf. That’s [how] I’ll leave it with you guys.”
This is to be expected. Marner and his representatives have decided that they won’t talk about his pending contract during the season to better his mental health. He is someone who has been very scrutinized in the media, which has put a ton of pressure on him since his early days with the Maple Leafs. This is a good strategy to have, especially with how well he is playing this season.
What’s Next for Marner & the Maple Leafs?
Only time will tell. However, if him refusing to waive his NMC is any indication, it looks like he will be a Maple Leaf for a long time. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that a deal will be agreed upon during the season, based on Marner and his representatives’ decision to not discuss an extension until the end of the season. However, that could be a good thing for the organization. If things go south during the playoffs, and they find themselves out in the first round, it will allow Toronto’s front office to pivot and potentially even pull off a sign-and-trade deal, similar to what Treliving did during his time with the Calgary Flames when he dealt Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers.
For now, though, Marner remains a key piece of Toronto’s core, and all signs point to him wanting to keep it that way.
