NHL insider Darren Dreger has revealed that the Maple Leafs and Mitch Marner are still in active contract negotiations, but both sides are still being coy about it.
According to Dreger, the two sides are still engaged in ongoing contract negotiations.
This should not come as a surprise as the Maple Leafs have made it clear that they intend to keep Mitch Marner.
After the team lost in the first round of the playoffs again last year, it seemed that Mitch Marner's fate in Toronto was sealed.
Everyone expected him to get moved. However, he remains with the team in the final year of his deal.
For whatever reason though, both the team and Marner's camp seem to be particularly keen on keeping this situation under wraps as much as possible.
This report comes just days after a report surfaced indicating Marner is hoping to get to free agency.
Perhaps Marner's elevated level of play has made him want to hold out longer for more leverage in negotiations.
After all, Marner has been on fire this season, leading the team in scoring with 42 points through 32 games.
In fact, Marner has registered an assist on 33.7% of all the team's goals this season so far, which would hold up as a club record if he finishes the season at that mark.
He is also on pace for his first career 100-point season. Despite coming very close in the past, he has never reached that lofty milestone.
All of this makes things more difficult for the Leafs.
Obviously, no team wants to lose a player of this caliber for free.
However, the Leafs currently lead the Atlantic Division, so they aren't going to want to trade him either.
This could lead to the very real and awkward scenario where Marner simply prices himself out of Toronto and signs somewhere else next summer after the Leafs lose in the first round of the playoffs again.
