Before taking any questions during his media availability Wednesday at training camp, Marner touched on his lack of a contract, noting that he would not be answering any questions about it. His statement is similar to the ones that were made by Auston Matthews and William Nylander at the previous two training camps when they were eligible for extensions.
While things have been relatively quiet from Marner's side and from the Leafs, the media has had a field day with different scenarios involving Marner's status as a pending free agent. However, Marner's agent Darren Ferris was contacted by The Athletic this week and shared the following statement regarding Marner's contract.
"Ongoing negotiations" seemingly implies that an extension may be coming sooner rather than later for the 27-year-old as he enters the final season of his 6-year deal, which carries a $10.9M cap hit. Some Toronto Maple Leafs fans may not like the fact that Marner appears set to sign an extension given his poor playoff performances over the past couple of seasons, but an extension with a higher AAV is much easier to digest knowing that John Tavares' $11M cap hit is coming off the books, and he will likely take a significant pay cut to remain a Leaf.
With on-ice sessions taking place tomorrow for the first official day of training camp, how Marner starts the season will be something to keep an eye on as it may lead to an extension sooner than later.
POLL | ||
18 SEPTEMBRE | 2457 ANSWERS Mitch Marner's Agent Releases Official Statement Regarding His Contract Situation What will the AAV be on Marner's next deal? | ||
$11-$12M | 1178 | 47.9 % |
$12-$13M | 581 | 23.6 % |
Don't care, don't want him | 530 | 21.6 % |
Other | 168 | 6.8 % |
List of polls |