Marner had just 3 points in the 7-game series, a far cry from what they needed from one of the highest-paid players on the team. Since the series came to an end, nearly everyone is expecting Marner to be traded, and some reports had even surfaced suggesting that Marner himself might be ready to move on.
On Wednesday, Friedman revealed his theory on what the next steps with Marner are. Unsurprisingly, Friedman suggested that until the two sides speak and come up with the early parameters of what a contract extension might look like, nobody really knows, despite all of the ongoing chatter.
It's nothing if not logical to assume that these talks will occur sooner than later. With the draft now just over 5 weeks away, if the Marner camp and the Maple Leafs can't see eye-to-eye on what a new deal looks like, or if Marner himself is ready for a change, 5 weeks doesn't seem like a whole lot of time to put the feelers out there and try to strike a deal for one of the most productive and creative wingers in the game. I doubt that either side will want to delay.
