Star forward Mitch Marner’s camp has offered the Toronto Maple Leafs one last chance to meet when free agency opens July 1, but it might be too little, too late.
The Leafs probably won’t bother with the meeting, according to Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman. It’s just the latest twist in what’s becoming one of the NHL’s biggest summer storylines.
The Carolina Hurricanes are going all-in on their pursuit of Marner, with several Western Conference teams also making aggressive pushes.
There’s been talk of Marner considering a shorter four-year deal that would let him hit free agency again at age 32, though some sources dispute this possibility.
The 28-year-old playmaker is widely seen as this year’s top free agent prize. Carolina is reportedly ready to offer him a massive seven-year contract worth more than $14 million per season.
The Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings, and Anaheim Ducks are also expected to make serious runs at signing him.
In other Leafs news, the team apparently tried to bring back Mason Marchment before he was traded to Seattle last week. The Stars sent him to the Kraken for two draft picks on June 19.
Marchment’s story is pretty interesting – he started his career with Toronto as an undrafted free agent in 2018, mostly playing for their minor league team before getting traded to Florida in 2020.
He’s really come into his own since then. This past season with Dallas, he put up 22 goals and 47 points in 63 games, plus some solid playoff numbers.
For Toronto’s new GM Brad Treliving, this summer’s shaping up to be crazy busy. He’s looking to shake things up and change the team’s identity, especially after missing out on Marchment.
The Leafs are still very much in their championship window, so you can bet Treliving isn’t done shopping for top-six forwards who could make an immediate impact.
