SPDN YouTube: Chris Johnston and Julian McKenzie on the Chris Johnston Show talking about whether Mitch Marner will be back with the Toronto Maple Leafs next season.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
McKenzie: “I don’t know if we’ve mentioned this person at all. I don’t know if he even know who this person is, but Mitch Marner. Does that name ring a bell at all?
Johnston: “It does, it does.
And you know, I don’t even know where we’re at in the public discourse with Mitch Marner. There’s been so much discussion about him, so I like I don’t even, I’ve lost track of what’s been reported.
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Here’s what I will report. Here’s what I know to be true, but the situation. The leafs are not leading on Mitch Marner right now. They have not decided 100% they have to trade them and they’re going to make life uncomfortable and they’re getting the list of names. It’s none of that’s what’s going on.
I mean, the fact that remains true with Mitch Marner is he controls the hammer here. And so if there’s a trade, the Leafs need to work with him. They need to as quietly as possible, try to line up you know, the teams or a team where they can live with the return and then they have to go to Mitch Marner and his agent Darren Farris and see if there’s a deal to be made.
Would Mitch negotiate with that team? Would Mitch consider playing there? You know, would that team trade for him as just a player with one year left on his deal? Does there have to be an extension?
I mean, obviously it’s, it would be a massive trade, whatever it is, if it happens, and it’s a slightly complex situation. So where things are at right now, as far as I know, is, is it’s a little bit, I mean, it’s not quiet around Mitch Marner. There’s so much speculation. I think there’s some frustration just about all the public discourse about it and looked at the nature of the beast when you’re that player and when the possibilities are on the table that we’re talking about.
But you know, at this point in time, I don’t think the Leafs have a deal for him and I don’t think they’ve gone to them and ask them for a list or anything like that. I think, I think they have to, it does not make any sense for the Leafs to go to war with his player, to make this any more public than it already is.
And so I think that they are going to quietly behind the scenes, see and gage if there’s a trade mark. if there is then they take it to the next step and see if Mitch Marner is willing to consider that move.”
McKenzie: “How surprised would you be, and you can reserve the right to change your mind at any point with this answer, how surprised would you be if Mitch Marner began next season with the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Johnston: “I’d say I wouldn’t be that surprised because it seems as though he’s comfortable playing out his free agent year. I mean, the only reason I would think it would have to happen as if he was in a spot where he needed an extension this summer.
Like he didn’t feel comfortable going into that final season and playing. You know, there’s, there’s, there’s career risk if you do that, right? If you have a significant injury, it could impact your future earnings. Things like that. I mean, generally, NHL players opt for as much security as possible because the nature of the sport they play.
But the fact that Mitch Marner is willing to play this right out till next summer and potentially chase free agency then, I think that that makes it very possible he remains a member of the Maple Leafs.
It’s way too soon to declare that’s going to happen. I’m certainly not doing so. But you know, I think that they and he both have to live with the fact that you know, it’s going to be hard to line up something that satisfies everyone here. That, that is, a team or city Mitch is comfortable with. Is a trade return that makes the Leafs go, ‘Do you know what, while still in a cup window, we’re willing to pull the trigger on this deal.’
And you know, at the end of the day, Mitch himself seems rather inclined to just remain a Maple Leaf. So I think everyone should brace for the possibility, the real possibility he’s back with that team next season.”
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