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What stands in the way between the Leafs and Marner getting a deal done?

Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
By Tyler Kuehl
Mar 10, 2025, 14:30 EDTUpdated: Mar 10, 2025, 14:16 EDT
Following the chaotic end to the NHL Trade Deadline season, the topic of conversation around the Six is the contract situation surrounding Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner.
Following the deadline, it emerged that Marner would’ve been part of a potential deal involving the Maple Leafs trading for Carolina Hurricanes forward Mikko Rantanen. However, despite multiple requests by the Leafs, Marner refused to waive his no-move clause, leading to Rantanen’s trade to the Dallas Stars.
The question now remains what kind of terms will Marner’s next contract have and whether or not Marner and the Leafs will find some common ground in negotiations.
Marner is set to be an unrestricted free agent. He is in the final season of his six-year contract, which carries an AAV of $10.903 million.
On Monday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk discuss what’s taking the two sides this long to come to an agreement.
Frank Seravalli: Mitch Marner and the Toronto Maple Leafs are willing to make things happen. They have to, I think, from a stylistic standpoint…What does this mean for the future? You have two sides that are equally saying the same thing. You have Mitch Marner, who’s saying, “I would like to be a long-term Toronto Maple Leaf. I want to play for this team.” Then, you’ve got [general manager] Brad Treliving over here saying, “Yeah, we want nothing more than Mitch Marner to be here for the long-term.”
Okay, so why aren’t we finding some deal to meet in the middle on? Is it possible that the ask from the Marner camp is so outlandish that the Leafs can’t wrap their brains around it? I can’t imagine there isn’t common ground to find. So, why isn’t this getting done?
The only thing I can come back to is that the Toronto Maple Leafs want to hold the right to do things in a different direction…if they don’t have playoff success again. They’re going to have to. To do this year after year, banging your head on a cinder block wall. I don’t know how many years we can say, “Oh, things are finally going to be different.” Then, they bring back the same team again, to not have any playoff success.
People say, “Why is that the Leafs would want to do that? They have such a good player here…” They haven’t come 25 percent of the way to winning a Stanley Cup, that’s the answer. You need a different fit. You need a different style.
You can watch the full segment and entire episode here (Marner segment begins at 7:00)
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