Insider Drops Intriguing Update on Mitch Marner's Free Agency Status

Mitch Marner might not sign 7-year free agent deal

After the news dropped on Friday that Mitch Marner will definitely not be returning to the Toronto Maple Leafs, it seemed that the only question left was which team would be able to sign him to a massive seven-year deal in free agency.

Now we're hearing, from insider Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast, about an intriguing update, that the assumed long-term contract might not be the case:

There was a rumour going around this week that a few teams heard, that Marner may not be looking to sign a seven-year deal in free agency, that he might look at a four-year deal and then go for another one, kind of the way that Auston Matthews has done it.

Matthews signed a new extension with the Leafs a couple of summers back, but he declined to go long-term, instead signing a four-year extension at $13.25 million AAV, and he'll be going into the second year of that deal next season. He'll then be a UFA at age 30, and in line for yet another massive deal.

For Marner, if he signed only a four-year deal this summer, he would be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent again in 2029 at the age of 32.

Friedman also added more to the Friday report from insider Andy Strickland that Marner will have a new team in 2025-26:

"The Maple Leafs have tried to talk to Marner, but his camp has not engaged with them," said Friedman, "and I think everyone knows the way this is headed. On July 1st, he's going to go out there... he's gonna pick a team and he's not coming back to Toronto." He added that many of Marner's teammates expect him to be heading West. The Vegas Golden Knights, Anaheim Ducks and the LA Kings have all been rumored as potential destinations.

Now the other question is, for how long will he be with his new team?

Marner eclipsed the 100-point mark for the first time this past season, with a career-high 75 assists and 102 points with a plus-18 rating in 81 games.