Latest development regarding Mitch Marner creating a stir in Toronto

While other reporters, such as Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli, holding firm that Marner will be moved this summer, Friedman has been very careful not to say definitively one way or another what will happen. However, on the most recent edition of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Friedman suggested that Marner will get at least one offer from the Leafs.

Obviously, the team extending Marner an offer is not necessarily a guarantee that he will be staying put. It's more or less just a guideline for how the negotiations are going to go. If the Leafs submit what they believe is a fair offer and it's too far below what the Marner camp is willing to accept, then that's where this thing could get dicey.

It's important to note that Marner does have one year remaining on his current deal at $10.9M per season, so he does have the option of simply playing out the year and walking as a UFA next summer. However, he has publicly stated that he does want to play in Toronto and that he loves being a Maple Leaf.

From Brad Treliving's standpoint, how the Marner camp reacts to his offer will tell him a lot. Perhaps there's a scenario in which Treliving and the Marner camp, if they remain too far apart, can come together on a sign and trade, much like what Treliving did with Matthew Tkachuk in Calgary a couple of summers ago, to ensure that the Leafs get something for the Markham, Ontario native rather than just watching him walk away for nothing.

In my mind, I don't see how the Leafs can justify paying Mitch Marner much more than what they're paying William Nylander. So, if he's willing to take a deal in the $11.5M-$12M neighborhood, you considerit. If he wants $13M or more, though, I think the Leafs probably do need to go in a different direction.

Source: Elliotte Friedman
32 Thoughts: The Podcast - Vegas, Baby.