Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews feels that his star teammate Mitch Marner has done well in handling everything that has come with being in a contract year.

Reports emerged after the trade deadline that the Carolina Hurricanes initially asked the Leafs about acquiring Marner in a potential trade for Mikko Rantanen. The Leafs then approached Marner and stated while their preference was to extend him, they had an offer if he wished to consider it, but he declined, stating his desire to remain in Toronto.

Marner told reporters after the game on Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche that he had a feeling something might happen but declined to elaborate further on whether he wants to sign an extension with his hometown team.

“He’s handled things great. There’s certain things that are out of your control and that’s one of them,” Matthews said during a scrum after practice on Sunday. “It is what it is, I don’t know what else to really say about it. Everybody’s focused on today, and when tomorrow comes we’ll focus on tomorrow and continue to progress as a team. We got our group now. There’s no big trades or anything that can go on now. It’s about continuing to take steps with our group here and pushing in the right direction.”

GM Brad Treliving also spoke with reporters after that practice where he clarified his stance on Marner and made it clear that the contract saga is not a distraction and the team is focused squarely on the season. This comes during a time when the Leafs are mired in a three-game losing streak and held a closed-door meeting to address their lacklustre play.

The status of Marner’s expiring contract has dominated headlines all season long, even as the team and his camp had been mostly quiet on the state of the negotiations before the fiasco over the weekend. While there are reports suggesting that he would be willing to hit the open market on July 1st, it will be how the team does in the playoffs that will be the ultimate deciding factor on what happens with the 27-year-old winger.

Marner pointed out that he has a strong support system around him via his teammates and the support staff to guide him through a year that comes with a lot of uncertainty. Matthews would naturally be one of those people that Marner would be leaning on and the captain feels his linemate has done a fine job of navigating the trials and tribulations. Where things go from here is anyone’s guess at the time of filing, but the noise will not subside until a final decision has been reached.

In any case, Matthews, Marner and the Leafs will look to right the ship when they face the Utah Hockey Club on Monday with puck drop scheduled for 10 p.m. EST.