Mitch Marner's comments hint that he may be willing to accept a trade

Yesterday, the Leafs held their end-of-season media availability with players and head coach Sheldon Keefe speaking with the media on locker room cleanout day.

One of the more interesting comments came from Mitch Marner after saying it was his "goal" to sign an extension with the Leafs. The comment in question came when he touched on how the Toronto Raptors traded a number of players away from the team that won an NBA title in 2019 and the reception they got upon their returns to Toronto.

Having a full no-movement clause, Marner controls his fate, but with the amount of backlash he has faced on social media following the series loss to Boston and his many negative interactions with the media throughout the season, it appears that he is frustrated with the pressures of playing in Toronto.

As much as Marner says he enjoys being a Leaf and wants to remain in Toronto, his comments would suggest that he would rather move on and be 'loved' upon his return rather than stay here and continuously be the 'scapegoat' as Auston Matthews pointed out.

As Rachel Doerrie pointed out on Monday, fans would appreciate Marner a lot more if he was willing to waive his NMC to open the door for change in Toronto. Conversely, she also pointed out that if Marner makes this ordeal a messy one, it could push fans even more towards a negative response to Marner.

Until we hear from GM Brad Treliving on Friday, there will be tons of speculation about whether the Leafs will "run it back" again or if significant changes will be made. Regardless, it will be a very interesting and busy summer for the Leafs.