Christenshilton May 20, 2025, 01:55 PM ET
Closekristen Shilton is ESPN’s national NHL reporter.
Toronto – Mitch Marner may have played his final game with the Maple Leafs. Toronto’s top winger became an unlimited free agent on July 1st, dodging speculation throughout the season. Following the Florida 7 defeat in the second round of Eastern Conference Playoffs series on Sunday, during the availability of season-ending media for the Leafs on Tuesday, Marner was asked directly if he wanted to be Leaf Year. He continued to be uncommitted to staying.
Toronto’s top winger Mitch Marner was asked if he would sign the team and extension during the availability of the Leafs’ end-of-season media. After spending all nine years of his career with the Leafs, Marner says he hasn’t decided yet. Kevin Sousa/Nhli via Getty Images
“I’ve always loved my time here and I loved being here, and I was so grateful,” Marner said. “I haven’t handled anything yet. It’s still very refreshing. It’s terrible to lose.”
The 28-year-old Manor played all nine years of his career in Toronto after the Leafs drafted him fourth in 2015. Marner, who is from the Toronto area, speaks enthusiastically about representing his childhood team. He emerged as one of the league’s best playmaking forwards, scoring a career-high 102 points in the 2024-25 campaign and taking fifth place in NHL scoring. Throughout the year, he and the Leafs were not together in new deals, but Toronto asked Marner to waive his trade clauses so that they could drive a move before the trade deadline in March. Marner ultimately refused and undoubtedly continued to become the regular season MVP for the Leafs.
But manners were not Toronto, the difference maker needed in the playoffs when they were being escaped by the Panthers’ punishment team. Toronto took a 2-0 series lead for Florida in the second round game, before the Panthers rebounded to score the next three: This includes 6-1 drubbling of the leaves at home in Game 5. Toronto recovered with a Game 6 victory but recovered at home 6-1 in Game 7. Marner was a minus four as he only had three assists in the final five games against Florida.
It was another unfortunate ending for Toronto and Marner. Leaf was 0-6 in Game 7 during Marner’s tenure with the team, and he notched two assists on those outings.
Postseason struggle aside, Marner’s consistency as a regular season performer has little doubt that there are suitors in the open market. The lack of etiquette answers about his stay in Toronto or not has made him more likely to pursue that option.
“It’s hard to handle at this point. It’s very refreshing,” he said. “It’s 24 hours [from] Our season is over. I’m not thinking anything. I’m not sitting with my wife. I’m not talking to her [the] In the future, the next step, and it will do it in the next few weeks. We start coming up with things. But I am forever grateful, especially in this group. ”
Marner was almost disappointed in looking back at the season with the Leafs in the wake of another playoff loss.
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“It’s amazing,” he said. “Obviously, it was a ups and downs. You want to win every year, you really want to do it. You feel the love and passion of the city, you are forever grateful. It is one of the best cities to live in the world. And I can not only grow here, wear this maple leaf and become a part of history.”
Marner may be out the door, but John Tavares is not keen to follow him. The Leafs veteran is also a pending unlimited free agent, but he has revealed his desire to return to Toronto next season. Tavares said they had “productive” discussions with GM Brad Treliving and Choace Craig Berube on Tuesday, and although several factors will take on a new contract, it was a top priority for Tavares to find a common position with the Leaf.
“If you want something to work, I’ll do everything I can to find something that works on both sides,” he said. “It’s fair to me, my family, my team and the club. I express my desire to stay and want to make it work.”
Berube also let him know how he felt. He won’t be on the person signing the decision at Treliving, but as to whether he wants to coach Marner and Tavares again?
“100%,” Belve said.
If Sunday’s stomping was the last manner of etiquette for suit-ups with the Leafs, he can hit 700 points (in 629 games) with the legacy that includes being the fastest skater in franchise history, and is one of four leafs to hit the 100-point mark (joining Daryl Sitler, Double Gilmore and Auston Matthews).
The majority of their collective time in Toronto, which began in the 2016-17 season, was Matthews next to Marner. The two have been linemates frequently over nine years, but it is important to fake personal and professional bond Matthews, regardless of where Marner lands.
“He’s a brother,” Matthews said. “He’s a very good teammate. He’s a friend. We’re very close. He’s very close to many people on the team and he’s a big part of our team and he has a big part of our team. Unfortunately, it’s the nature of business. People come and go.
