David Alter on the Possibility of Mitch Marner Staying in Toronto
Brace yourself for the possibility of Mitch Marner finishing out his current contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. David Alter explains why.
Toronto Maple Leafs fans have grown accustomed to the off-season rollercoaster of rumours and speculation surrounding their beloved team’s roster. This year is no different, and one of the hottest topics on the table is the future of star winger Mitch Marner. While some may want Marner to move on after another year of failure in the playoffs, it’s time for Leafs Nation to brace themselves for the very real possibility that Marner will stay with the club for the 2024-25 season.
The simple fact of the matter here is that Marner holds all the cards. He’s entering the final year of his contract that carries an annual salary cap hit of $10.9 million and he has a full no-movement clause in his contract. The only unilateral decision the Leafs could do in order to move on from Marner would be to buy him out. But the club is not going to do that. It would be dump. The cap hit would be nearly the same, just split over two seasons due to the signing bonus that is associated with his deal. And there’s also the fact that Marner is still an elite player in the NHL with immense talent.
His stats speak volumes: With 639 points in 576 regular season games, he’s consistently among the team’s top scorers, demonstrating elite playmaking ability, and contributing significantly to both power play and penalty kill units. His special teams contributions would be hard to replace.
Trading the player to a team that could use him in exchange for some other pieces (an elite defenseman and/or goaltending come to mind) would certainly be ideal. But with his no-move clause, Marner has to consent to any deal and may insist on sticking around.
Does Radical Change Make More Sense For 2025-26?
Mitch Marner isn’t the only player who carries a large salary cap hit with on season remaining. Maple Leafs captain John Tavares is entering the final year of his deal as well with a cap hit of $11 million. Like Marner, Tavares also has a full no-move clause and the player also has the desire to remain in Toronto. It’s unlikely the Leafs would be able to convince him otherwise and there isn’t likely to be a decent haul for a player past his prime carrying that type of cap commitment. Tavares is still a very serviceable player, but he can’t carry a top line like he used to.
With Tavares’ cap hit coming off the books, does that increase the appetite to perhaps look at an extension for Marner? Sure. But given the player would probably command a raise beyond his $10.9 million cap hit, is it realistic?
Trade Will Only be Brought to Marner Once a Team Steps Forward With a Compelling Offer
If you are in Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving’s shows, you know it doesn’t make any sense at all to ask Marner to provide a list of teams he’d be willing to be moved to or ask if he’d be open to the idea until a trade is brought to the table. There’s enough noise around the hockey circles that other teams know Marner is on the block. But the Leafs need to maintain a good relationship with the forward in the event he is staying, and so commences the posturing.
There are so many possibilities that open up for the Maple Leafs beyond this season. It may be time to just be ready for a world in which Marner is in the lineup come opening night.
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