Veteran NHL insider Bob McKenzie believes Mitch Marner will explore free agency before deciding on his next contract, a scenario that could spell trouble for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

When his Canada teammates needed it the most, Mitch Marner set up the tournament-winning goal at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, finding Connor McDavid for the winner. That goal sent Canada into a frenzy, helping the nation win the first hockey best-on-best tournament since 2016.

The Four Nations tournament is unfortunately now behind us, and we have to say goodbye to the best hockey we’ve seen in a long time. We had the perfect ending with a brilliant Canadian victory in the final against the United States,

Even if Marner asks for a similar percentage of the expected 2025-26 cap ($95.5 million), he'd overtake Nylander ($11.5 million AAV) in the Maple Leafs' salary table with an AAV of $12.75 million, trailing only Matthews' $13.25 million per season.

Mitch Marner’s future with the Toronto Maple Leafs remains uncertain, with NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reporting that the star forward is not close to deciding whether he wants to get to free agency.

At least one National Hockey League insider appears to believe that the Toronto Maple Leafs and star forward Mitch Marner are headed for a split. On Sunday night, during the telecast of a game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks,

Mitch Marner has returned to Toronto and is ready to use his 4 Nations Face-Off experience as a positive moving forward throughout this Maple Leafs’ season.