Top NHL Insider Reveals Where Leafs Star Mitch Marner is Headed This Summer

If Mitch Marner wants to break the bank on a new deal and become the highest-paid player in the NHL, the four most likely destinations for him would be Chicago, San Jose, Utah and Anaheim. But, more realistically, many suspect teams like the Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers are the more likely destinations for the 28-year-old.

Until this past weekend, there were some that suspected that the Maple Leafs could still re-sign Marner. However, those rumours were put to rest this week when Andy Strickland revealed that Marner would not be returning to Toronto.

Furthering Strickland's reports, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman surprised many when he shared on Sunday's '32 Thoughts' podcast that Marner has ignored the Leafs' attempts to contact him.

Not only did Friedman reveal that Marner is refusing to talk with the Leafs, but he also explained that rumblings from his teammates within the organization seem.to indicate that they will only see the 28-year-old once or twice next season.

Based on the reports from Friedman, the California teams and Vegas now appear to be the overall front-runners for the perennial playoff under-performer, with speculation of a short-term deal being more likely.

While there has been a lot of speculation that Marner could remain in the East, it is now all but certain that the Markham, Ontario native is off to the West when free agency gets under way in two weeks time.