The Marner trade rumours have taken on a life of their own ever since the team's first round exit at the hands of the Boston Bruins. While many teammates have not shared their thoughts on the trade rumours surrounding Marner, Maple Leafs franchise cornerstone Auston Matthews finally spoke up and let people know what he thinks about the bevy of rumours.
Matthews, by all accounts, is a team player and his comments in defense of Marner are evidence of that. Further to that, we know that Marner is popular among his teammates in the room, so there's also a human aspect to this. Matthews, and I'm sure many of Marner's other teammates, want people to know that Mitch's value to the team goes far beyond what we just see on the ice. He's a huge part of that locker room.
Something to note, however, is that Matthews didn't affirm that Marner would be returning next season. Does he know something the rest of us don't?
Obviously, Matthews' job is not to provide intel on the inner-workings of the team, his job is to score goals. So perhaps we're digging a little too deep regarding his comments.
Marner is entering his last year under contract with the Leafs, with a cap hit just north of $10.9M. With the many narratives around Marner's inability to elevate his game in the playoffs and his standoffish nature when it comes to the media, the biggest concerns lie in whether or not new head coach can get the most out of the player when it matters and how he plans to handle all of the scrutiny from the media and fans if he does ink a long-term deal in Toronto.
