It appears Mitch Marner’s time with the Toronto Maple Leafs is over.
The superstar is set to hit free agency on July 1, and insider Andy Strickland reported Friday that Marner won’t return to the Leafs in 2025-26:
While this is simply a report, Strickland is quite reliable, and it wouldn’t be a surprise at all if Marner was wearing another jersey when October rolls around. The veteran refused to speak on his future at exit interviews, and while he expressed gratitude for his time in Toronto, Marner also didn’t say he wanted to return:
“I’ve always loved my time here. I’ve loved being here,” Marner said on the team’s locker clean-out day. “Like I said to you guys the other night, I have been so grateful and, you know, haven’t processed anything yet. It’s still so fresh and losing sucks.”
“In the next couple of weeks, I’ll sit down with my wife and we’ll start talking,” Marner continued. “Trying to figure out what’s next.”
The Maple Leafs reportedly tried to acquire Mikko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes at the trade deadline and were willing to include Mitch Marner in the package. But the blockbuster never happened, and the Finnish star ended up with the Dallas Stars instead.
If this is truly the end of Marner’s tenure with the Leafs, he’ll forever be remembered for his brilliance. Despite struggling to put up points in the playoffs as Toronto suffered another exit at the hands of the Florida Panthers, he led the team in regular-season points with 102, scoring 27 goals and tallying 75 helpers.
Marner will secure a mammoth payday wherever he does end up, and there will be no shortage of interest in his services.
