Latest Report Regarding Leafs Star Mitch Marner May Infuriate Potential Suitors

For most of the last year, Mitch Marner has reiterated to members of the media that he would like to remain with the Maple Leafs. However, actions speak louder than words, as they say, and when Marner was unwilling to negotiate a new deal in-season, the reality became clear.

Marner's body language in the dying seconds of the Leafs' Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers in Round 2 seemed to indicate that he was agonizing over his final moments in a Maple Leafs jersey.

His actions since the end of the season and the litany of reports from the various NHL Insiders have also indicated that Marner is as good as gone, naming Carolina, Vegas, Florida, Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose and Chicago as some potential landing spots.

While teams are salivating over the opportunity to add a player of Marner's caliber for nothing more than cap dollars, a report from Pierre LeBrun in his recent piece for The Athletic indicates that Marner may be eyeing a 2-year deal, which could leave a lot to be desired for some teams who were hoping to lock him up long-term.

As LeBrun noted, the 2-year deal would allow Marner to cash in this summer, but sign his biggest deal in a few summers when the salary cap is expected to shoot up to as much as $118M.

I'm sure that most teams who are interested in Marner wouldn't see two years as a deal-breaker, but I'm certain they won't feel nearly as comfortable with signing him knowing that a record-setting contract and another potential free agent bidding war could be not too far down the road.