At this point, it doesn’t look like Mitch Marner will be traded before next season. That means he’ll play out his final year under contract. While there have been several trade rumours surrounding Marner, as time goes on, it seems less likely that the trigger will be pulled. Players who were looked at as trade bait for Marner, have moved in a different direction. For example, Juuse Saros signed a long-term extension with the Nashville Predators. He was one of the big names that was thrown out as a potential return for Marner. Now it’s time for fans to prepare for Marner to be a Leaf next season. If that’s going to be the case, expect the 27-year-old to explode offensively.
Players in Contract Years
It’s no secret that when star players head into the final year of their contract, they play with a chip on their shoulder. Most of the time, these players record a career best in points and goals. An example of this would be Marner’s teammate, William Nylander last season. Before the 2023-24 season, there were many rumours about the Maple Leafs trading away Nylander, heading into the final year. Nylander finished the season with a career-high 98 points and became a game-breaker for Toronto. As a result, he signed an eight-year, $92M deal in the middle of the season. Another example of the contract-year spectacle would be Stanley Cup champion, Sam Reinhart. Last season was also the final year of his contract, naturally, he scored 57 goals and 94 points, crushing his previous bests. He also earned an eight-year deal, with an AAV of $8.6M.
Along with those two stars, this has happened on several occasions in past years. With this in mind, it makes sense to assume that someone as talented as Marner would be able to achieve something similar this season. The best season that Marner has ever put together was in 2022-23 when he scored 99 points. If he were to achieve his best season yet next year, he’d finally strike the century mark for the first time in his career. Not only is there motivation for Marner to market himself for a new contract and to help Toronto win. He also has the opportunity to make the roster for Team Canada.
What Does this Mean for Marner’s Future?
If Marner does play through the season without the safety of a new deal, what will his future look like? Elliotte Friedman shared his thoughts on The Jeff Marek Show about Marner’s agent, Darren Ferris. He believes that he likes to take his clients all the way to free agency and make the most money for his players as possible. This is a situation that Chris Johnston can get behind as well. Recently, on the Steve Dangle Podcast, Johnston believes that it’s more likely that Marner will walk for nothing at the end of the season. “If we were setting the betting lines now that favourite would be walks as a free agent,” he said.
Even if general manager Brad Treliving wants to re-sign Marner like he did with Nylander, it would be unrealistic. If Marner were to get a new contract with the Maple Leafs, it would have to be similar to the $11.5M deal that Nylander got. A number that rich may be over the budget for the Leafs. There are loopholes through it, John Tavares would have to take significantly less than his current contract, if he were to re-sign that is. But at any rate, there’s a lot of uncertainty with where Marner will play next season. However, we can expect a probable outburst in Marner’s offensive numbers in the next campaign.
Main Photo Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
