TSN: Darren Dreger on TSN 1050 Radio when asked where he thinks things stand between the Toronto Maple Leafs and pending UFA Mitch Marner.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Aaron Korolnek: “Well, Darren, you’re back in full swing. Hockey season right around the corner. I think Maple Leaf fans are awaiting news on Mitch Marner and his contract entering the final season of his deal. Where do you think things stand between the two sides, Marner and the Maple Leafs at this point in time?”
Dreger: “Well, Aaron, I think you’re in a good place, but I don’t want to misconstrue that. You know, with the belief that an extension is looming, that it’s going to happen quickly, obviously it’s going to be a top of mind, big story from the beginning of training camp, and probably until the day that an extension is committed and, and announced.
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But I don’t, I don’t have the sense that that’s going to happen anytime soon, and I think both sides are okay with that, right? You know, Marner knows that this is yet another big year for that young leadership group, and he’s a huge part of that. So he’s focused on a good start for himself, for his team.
I know that he’s been training with Sidney Crosby, Nathan McKinnon, and a group in Vail, Colorado, under the leadership of Andy O’Brien. So he’s put in his time this summer. You know, he’s, he’s ready to get going and prove that this year’s team potentially is going to be the best in a long, long time. So there’s a lot of pressure on those guys.
But I don’t get the sense that there’s contract pressure on Marner. He’s happy for it to be quiet. There’s good dialog between Darren Ferris and Brad Treliving. They’ve got a good relationship, but they’re not in heavy negotiations. And again, both sides are okay with that. Not to say that that can’t ramp up at some point in-season, but there doesn’t appear to be a rush at this stage.”
Carlo Colaiacovo: “So Dregs, which, if you had to make a prediction on how the Marner and Leafs situation plays out, you’re, you’re suggesting that he’s going to sign a long-term deal. And if it, if he is, is this something that you anticipate happening during the season, or is this something that happens after the season?”
Dreger: “Well, obviously Carlo, long-term extension is a possibility, and I believe that’s what Marner wants. I think the Toronto Maple Leafs are keenly interested in that, provided it makes long-term sense, and nobody is at that place just yet.
But look at the limited options from Toronto’s perspective, right? We know, of course, about the no-move clause. We know that he’s going into the final year of the deal, and beyond that, you’ve got unrestricted free agency.
So if they don’t get a long-term deal agreed to in-season, how complicated does it get around the trade deadline, right? If things you know aren’t going the way of the Maple Leafs. Can they simply allow Mitch Meyer to walk?
I mean, those are just some of the conversations that we’re going to continue to have, and maybe you don’t have to have those conversations in September, October, November. But as you creep closer into 2025 and there is no long-term contract looming, there haven’t been any sort of hard bolt negotiations, then it becomes more of a talking point on an hour-by-hour basis in this market.
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But I do think that there’s a good appetite from both sides to get something done. And this realization from the organization’s standpoint that Marner is going to get paid again, and he is going to get paid well.”
