GM Dubas keeps giving excuses to explain Marner’s stalled negotiations

He needs to offer some real answers!

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 4 years ago
GM Dubas keeps giving excuses to explain Marner’s stalled negotiations
Zuma Press

Summer is all almost over yet the contract impasse between Mitch Marner and the Toronto Maple Leafs seems far from the being resolved. 

Over the weekend, Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas was asked - once again - to comment on the situation and yet he couldn’t find something reassuring to tell the team’s fanbase.  On top of that, he keeps comparing his situation to other teams’ contract impasses, reminding everyone that players like Patrik Laine or Brayden Point are still left unsigned at the moment. 

However, the GM did admit that the Marner talks are into ‘a bit of a slog’ at the moment. 

“It’s just really the status quo at this point,” Dubas told TSN at the World Junior Summer Showcase. “I think the reality is, it’s the status quo with all these types of players throughout the league. There doesn’t seem to be anything really transpiring, and as it gets into August, it’s kind of into a bit of a slog where there doesn’t seem to be any real progress. You don’t even hear of any progress in any of the other situations.”

We get it. Marner isn’t the only high profile restricted agents left unsigned. However, it was recently reported that many RFAs - let’s add to that mix Matthew Tkachuk, Brock Boeser and Mikko Ratanen - are waiting for Marner to get his deal done before thy put ink to paper themselves. 

Earlier this month, Marner, who is coming off a monstrous season in which he put up 94 points, revealed he “probably” won’t attend Toronto’s training camp - set to open Sept. 17 - without a contract in hand, though he added he’d prefer to be there.

Let’s see what Dubas has to say later on this month if no progress are made. 

Source: TSN