Mitch Marner may now be signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs after the Edmonton Oilers signed forward Leon Draisaitl.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been in a state of inertia for several months now, as if they’re waiting for the Mitch Marner scenario to blow over and their supporters to lose their minds over their favorite player—or, in this instance, their favorite player to want to flee the city.
Now, I think it’s clear that 99% of Maple Leafs supporters want Marner to re-sign, even if we ignore the views of people who would make us seem foolish. People without a “social media megaphone” may seem disproportionately representative, yet they really make up a relatively small fraction of the population.
The last obstacle to the Leafs signing Marner has been removed with the signing of Draisaitl, so they can now focus on their season.
Mitch Marner may now be signed by the Leafs once the Oilers sign Leon Draisaitl.
The previous time the Leafs signed Mitch Marner, it ended up being more of an embarrassment for the team than it was a precedent.
Although different signing dates and cap circumstances serve to obscure any genuine issues, the notion that Marner was overpaid in relation to Draisaitl, Pastrnak, Rantanen, Guentzel, Kaprizov, and Kucherov has endured for a long time.
Thus, the last thing the Leafs wanted to do was pay an already unpopular general manager and an embittered player, just to watch as Edmonton reduced Leon Draisaitl’s salary in the process.
Draisaitl will turn 29 in October, making him 28 years old. With a $14 million cap hit, his new contract keeps him under contract until he turns 37. Although Marner is a year and a half younger, his present contract is set to expire at the conclusion of the next season, and he is also eligible for a new one.
The Leafs should still get this done even if Draisaitl warned Edmonton that he wouldn’t negotiate during the season and I’m not sure whether Marner has given a similar warning. Talking about Marner being walked to free agency and being lost for nothing on a daily basis is the last thing they want throughout the season.
Whoever believes that this won’t be an issue is incredibly innocent. This is going to be the largest distraction that anyone has ever experienced. If Marner isn’t signed, concerns about his situation will take center stage during the season. Marner is the second-best player to ever wear the Leafs uniform, or at least he will be when his career is done. If all goes according to plan and he has many successful postseason seasons, he has a potential to surpass Auston Matthews as the best Leafs player in history.
This should be completed quickly now that Marner and the Leafs are aware that he cannot have $14 million. Given that Matthews gets $13.25 an hour, Marner and the Leafs should settle on a salary between $12 and $12.5.
nourishment
The ideal duration is eight years, although even four years is a good length. Marner needs to be signed since there has never been a viable way to trade him. There’s no need in holding it out either. With Draisaitl’s signing, Marner should be back in action soon.
