The Toronto Maple Leafs might have another contentious contract negotiation on their hands.
Less than a year after talks surrounding William Nylander's new deal kept the 23-year-old out of the Leafs squad for months, the club appears to be headed toward another tough negotiation with a young restricted free agent as Mitch Marner is reportedly interested in testing the market before inking a potential new deal with Toronto.
TSN's Darren Dreger told TSN 1050 on Tuesday that Marner's camp could extend talks with the Leafs past July 1, the date he officially becomes a restricted free agent after finishing his entry-level contract.
It's an all-too-familiar scenario for the Leafs, even with Dreger adding that things are "amicable" between the team and Marner.
“The two sides have had exchanges, but I’m not talking about contract offers or negotiations, just back and forths,” Dreger said. “I’d be surprised if the agent, Darren Ferris, doesn’t connect with [Toronto general manager] Kyle Dubas and the Leafs management crew in Buffalo this week during the [NHL Scouting] Combine, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up on that. It's just due process.”
One part of the process that Dreger believes Marner's camp will engage in is meeting with other teams. As an impending RFA, Marner will have a week at the end of June during which he will be allowed to talk to clubs around the NHL, although the Leafs would be the only team able to sign him prior to the beginning of July.
“I believe that the Marner camp is still looking at July 1 or beyond July 1, and he’s earned the right to do that,” Dreger said. “I’d be shocked if Mitch Marner and Darren Ferris, or Mitch Marner, Darren Ferris and his dad or another member [of the Marner camp] aren’t on an airplane on June 26, starting the visiting process of the clubs that might be willing to offer sheet.”
Dreger added that he expects Toronto to make an "aggressive offer" for Marner, perhaps more than $10 million per season. The 22-year-old, who led the team with 94 points (26 goals, 68 assists) in 2018-19, had a base salary of $832,500 last season.
Marner was the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NHL draft.