The Toronto Maple Leafs and RFA forward Mitch Marner have made “some progress in contract talks,” according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston.
Talk of Marner’s contract status has gotten increasingly loud as September rolls on and players are getting back to the rink — so much so that Leafs GM Kyle Dubas imposed a moratorium on questions about Marner’s negotiations during Thursday’s media availability.
Per reports, the Maple Leafs previously tabled a long-term offer worth approximately $11 million per season, while Marner’s camp is eying less term in an effort to usher the young star into his final RFA season and an even bigger pay day in a few years.
The current stalemate feels all too familiar for Maple Leafs fans, who endured a long standoff between then-RFA William Nylander and the team a year ago. (Nylander, of course, didn’t sign until mere minutes before the Dec. 1 deadline.) Marner, 22, missed his first team event on Wednesday when he didn’t join his Toronto teammates for Wednesday’s annual golf tournament, and will likely remain apart from the club as negotiations continue.
Marner is far from the only star RFA who has yet to put pen to paper on a new contract. Mikko Rantanen (COL), Patrik Laine (WPG) and Jets teammate Kyle Connor, Matthew Tkachuk (CGY) and Brayden Point are among those still without a new deal.
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