The Toronto Maple Leafs could lose Mitch Marner to free agency this summer, but head coach Craig Berube has made it very clear he wants to keep the superstar.
During Tuesday’s exit interviews, Berube expressed just how important of a player Marner is to this club, despite his struggles in the series against the Florida Panthers.
Via Sportsnet:
“I love the guy and love coaching him. I love his energy, personality. He’s a hell of a player,” Berube said about Marner. “You know, he does a lot for this team, night in, night out, in a lot of different areas of the game. So I got nothing but good things to say about him.”
Marner had a career year for the Maple Leafs, putting up a team-high 102 points. The next closest player on the roster was William Nylander with 84. The 28-year-old also spoke on his upcoming free agency and said he’s yet to make any decisions on what the next step is:
“In the next couple of weeks, I’ll sit down with my wife and we’ll start talking,” Marner, who recently became a dad for the first time, said. “Trying to figure out what’s next.”
The veteran is going to have a lot of interest on the open market if he gets there. If Marner doesn’t sign an extension with the Maple Leafs by July 1, he will become a free agent. Whether he ends up back in Toronto or not, Marner is going to secure a big payday.
When it comes to the Leafs, it’s clear that changes are needed after yet another playoff failure. William Nylander and Auston Matthews are around for the long haul, but Marner and also John Tavares may not be back next season. Tavares is a UFA as well.
Toronto has decisions to make, but Berube wants to see Marner in a Leafs sweater again in 2025-26.
