Insider exposes top scenario for Mitch Marner and Maple Leafs, but fans are skeptical

Maple Leafs star winger Mitch Marner is focused on the upcoming season, but chatter in Toronto is still paying attention to the trade rumours and the pending contract negotiations for his future in the organization. That includes insider Chris Johnston who recently shared when he believes it would be the best time for the Maple Leafs and general manager Brad Treliving to ink Marner to an extension.

The star winger enters the final season of his $65.4 million contract and once again, the Maple Leafs have to be careful and strategical about this. Last season, a similar situation took place when teammate William Nylander, who played through the season without an extension, ended up signing an eight-year, $92 million contract on January 2024.

Thinking of this past situation, Johnston revealed on TSN’s OverDrive show on August 26 that he believes the Maple Leafs’ best time to re-sign Marner to a significant deal would be after winning the Stanley Cup in June 2025, providing Toronto can accomplish the deed.

“The perfect time would be after you win a Stanley Cup next June and you make that announcement,” Johnston said.

Of course, Johnston is aware that there are risks involved in waiting so much since Marner could walk away as a free agent with the Maple Leafs losing him for absolutely nothing if a deal can’t be reached.

“There would be concern about losing the player for nothing—that’s kind of where they got to last year with Nylander,” Johnston added.

This would be quite a bold move by GM Treliving and the Maple Leafs, however, some would say No risk, no reward.

However, this might be hard to phantom for fans since Toronto hasn’t made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final since they last won it in 1967. In past seasons, it’s been hard for the Maple Leafs to even reach the second round of the playoffs, and this perfect timing might not even be an option for GM Treliving.

Marner had a strong regular season last year, posting 85 points in 69 games, but he will need to improve in the postseason, especially if a contract extension in Toronto hangs in the balance.