Mitch Marner's latest actions point to a likely trade out of Toronto
Maple Leafs franchise winger Mitch Marner's latest actions may, in fact, point to an impending trade out of Toronto.
Marner has taken a lot of heat this year, and has been very standoffish with the media, even during the season. This week, during a Marner Assist Foundation event, Marner himself made his rounds, speaking with various members of the media, contingent on the condition that they would not ask any questions related to the Maple Leafs.
Upon first glance, this seemed like a pretty innocent situation, as it was easy to follow the narrative that Marner wanted to keep the focus on the charity itself. However, it was later revealed by David Alter of The Hockey News that Marner had specifically requested that Sportsnet and TSN not attend the event at all.
Last season, Marner began to take a little more control over his interactions with the media, taking frequent "media breaks", as Alter pointed out in his article. Is he really a player who fits in with the organization if he's not amenable to dealing with the media in the hottest hockey market on the planet?
While Alter believes that Marner may have finally outworn his welcome in Toronto, a media hotbed for hockey, he's not the only one. Former NHLer Mike Commodore also believes that Marner's actions may indicate that he's tired of the same old dance with the media and would welcome a fresh start in a quieter market.
Marner does have a no-movement clause, which allows him to decide his own fate, but if he does opt to stick around and if he hasn't signed a new deal before the season begins, it's going to be an absolute circus in Toronto.
I just can't see a world in which the Leafs are inviting and embracing that sort of a distraction all year long. And, for Marner, you simply can't completely blackball members of the media - accredited journalists who have a job to do. A trade makes much more sense than a year-long circus. Just my two cents.
Source: David Alter, The Hockey NewsWhy Mitch Marner's Decision to Limit Media and Dictate Terms of Interviews at his Charity Event Shows he may not be cut out for the Maple Leafs Anymore
| POLL | ||
13 JUILLET | 597 ANSWERS Mitch Marner's latest actions point to a likely trade out of Toronto Should Mitch Marner be able to outright blackball members of the media the way that he has? | ||
| No, he's very unprofessional | 195 | 32.7 % |
| Yes, he should be able to decide who he talks to | 280 | 46.9 % |
| Don't care | 122 | 20.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
