Patrick Kane isn’t signing with the Maple Leafs. Truth be told, there was never much to suggest Toronto was seriously in the mix. Instead, the future Hall of Famer is headed back to Chicago.

That’s where we kicked things off on the latest summer edition of Leafs Morning Take. Kane, 37, signed a two-year deal worth $8 million per season. That’s a hefty price tag, and honestly, we couldn’t believe he got that much. At the end of the day, the move likely takes him out of Stanley Cup contention, but with three championships already on his résumé, that’s probably not his top priority anymore.

Meantime, Rosie, who’s made it abundantly clear he’s not exactly a LeBron James fan, sounded off on the 41-year-old taking his sweet time deciding where he’d play next. Ironically, it was almost like we manifested the news. Shortly after wrapping up that conversation, it was reported on X that LeBron was headed to Philadelphia on a two-year deal worth $8 million per season. That’s right, less than Patrick Kane.

Nearly 13 months after his drawn-out departure from Toronto, the back-and-forth involving Mitch Marner and his camp isn’t going away.

On a recent edition of The PuckPedia Hockey Show, Marner’s agent, Darren Ferris, had some pointed comments about the Maple Leafs organization while reflecting on his client’s time in Toronto.

Unsurprisingly, that’s where we started on the latest edition of Leafs Morning Take. We couldn’t ignore this one, could we?

The level of pettiness is off the charts. Incredibly, the Marner camp is still bitter about the lack of performance bonuses in his entry-level contract. All in al, it was fascinating to hear from Ferris, who rarely speaks publicly. Just when it feels like everyone is finally ready to move on, something else pops up. If nothing else, this whole saga has become the gold standard for how NOT to handle public relations. Marner, who’s coming off an incredible Stanley Cup Playoffs, is slated to play his second game in Toronto on December 12th when Vegas visits Scotiabank Arena.

After that, TSN 1050’s Jim Tatti dropped by to discuss Darren Ferris’ latest comments about the Maple Leafs, why he understands some of the Marner camp’s frustration, and what he made of Ferris revisiting the situation. He also weighed in on Auston Matthews’ pivotal season, John Chayka’s offseason overhaul, and why he believes Toronto is a playoff team in 2026-27. To wrap things up, Tatti played an impromptu edition of YES GUY, NO GUY, sharing his takes on Gavin McKenna, Sergei Bobrovsky, Morgan Rielly, and more.

Catch the next summer episode of Leafs Morning Take on Tuesday at 11 AM e.t.

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