Insider reveals there is indeed a chance Mitch Marner is traded
Photo credit: USA Today
Elliotte Friedman revealed that Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner could be traded in the off-season even though he is eligible to sign an extension on July 1st.
Marner has once again been criticized heavily through the first three games of the Maple Leafs' series versus the Boston Bruins, and rightfully so. He has just one assist and has been the cause of a few Bruins' goals.
Yesterday, on The Fan590, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman was asked about Marner's play and if it determined what his next contract would look like. Friedman was quick to compare Marner to Vancouver's Elias Pettersson and his struggles in the Canucks' series against the Predators.
"I think it's really critical. You look at Pettersson in Vancouver, you look at Marner in Toronto and you see a lot of similaritiesYou can see how both of those markets are reacting around those players early on. I think Marner is his own worst enemy in the sense that he puts a ton of pressure on himself in some ways I think he almost mentally straight jackets himself."
Marner is eligible to sign an extension as of July 1st as he will be entering the final year of his 6-year deal that is paying him $10.903M per season. As Freidman noted, he holds a no-trade clause which would complicate things, but it would not surprise him if the Leafs did the same thing they did with William Nylander before they signed him to an extension.
"The calendar determines all and we're going to get to a point where he can extend. It'll come down to a) how well he plays, b) what his next contract looks like and c) if it comes to a trade, what they're all willing to do together."
With Marner struggling once again in the playoffs, Leaf fans have quickly turned against him, as have the members of the Toronto media. If he and the Leafs can't turn things around quickly, he could be the piece the Leafs move to address their blueline issues sooner than later.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 27 | 1083 ANSWERS Insider reveals there is indeed a chance Mitch Marner is traded Will Mitch Marner still be a Leaf at the beginning of next season? | ||
| Yes | 259 | 23.9 % |
| No | 678 | 62.6 % |
| Depends if they lose to Boston or not | 146 | 13.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
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