Sidney Crosby Does Pens a Favour and Mitch Marner Should Follow Suit with the Leafs

The hockey world is abuzz on Monday, thanks to the announcement from the Pittsburgh Penguins that they have come to terms with long-time captain Sidney Crosby on a new 2-year deal. The AAV was expected to be in the $10M range initially, but when the official announcement was made, fans were surprised to see Crosby land at just $8.7M per season.

Per a report from Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the contract breaks down as follows and was structured this way so as to not burden the organization:

Mitch Marner spent time skating with Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon this summer in Vail, Colorado and Crosby has had some very good things to say about Marner both now and in previous seasons. The question I have now is, why doesn't Mitch Marner simply follow Crosby's lead and sign a deal similar to the one he is currently on rather than seeking out a substantial raise on a new deal?

Marner has taken a lot of heat from the fanbase this summer after another lackluster postseason performance, and has been eligible to sign an extension since July 1st. While fans would have preferred a resolution to the Marner situation before the start of the season, be it in the form of a trade or an extension, it's also easy to understand why the Leafs are hesitant to pull the trigger on a substantial deal. They need to see the Markham, Ontario product produce in the playoffs before they commit the type of term and/or dollars that he is believed to be looking for.

For Marner, the decision to simply sign a max-term deal for close to what he's making now ($10.9M) would not only give the organization an enormous discount, but would likely almost instantly repair the relationship between the player and the fan base, as seeing him put the team first would resonate with a group of loyal followers who has watched players pry every last cent out of the organization year after year.

Is it likely? I highly doubt it. But if Marner did want to show the fans and the organization that he's a team first guy, he'll leave some money on the table on his next deal, as Crosby did in Pittsburgh.