The Toronto Maple Leafs have a lot of tough decisions to make this offseason, including on star Mitch Marner. Marner will be a free agent this summer, and many people around the NHL believe that he has played his final game in Toronto.
Marner is expected to start a bidding war on the open market, with multiple teams lining up to sign him. The star has only ever played for the Maple Leafs, but he may be looking forward to the chance of starting somewhere new.
While nobody knows exactly what he wants from his free agency, NHL insider Pierre LeBrun offered some insight into the situation.
"In my opinion, it is more likely Mitch Marner tests the market than re-signs in Toronto.", he said.
If Marner gets to the open market, it's more unlikely that he will stay in Toronto. The Maple Leafs are also expected to make some big changes this offseason following another early playoff exit.
While the team has relied upon Marner for scoring over the years, something has to change. Letting Marner go could hurt in the short term, but it may pay off long-term, with Toronto using that money to spread elsewhere along the roster.
Marner scored 27 goals and 75 assists for the Maple Leafs this year, but his game didn't translate to the playoffs. The star was only able to generate two goals and 11 assists over 13 postseason games for Toronto this year.
This could be a big offseason for both the Maple Leafs and Marner, even if the long partnership does come to an end.
