Mitch Marner declined Maple Leafs’ largest contract in franchise history!

When the Toronto Maple Leafs cleaned out their dressing room and had their exit interviews on Tuesday, pending free agent Mitch Marner was to talk about his future. Game 7 and Toronto’s elimination were still too fresh, though he did reiterate how special it was for a home town boy like him to suit up for the Maple Leafs.

But fans quickly noticed how Marner answered in the past tense when talking about his time in Toronto in the immediate aftermath of the Game 7 defeat.

And on Wednesday, team insider Jonas Siegel reported how the Leafs had approach Marner with a significant offer during the season despite the star forward not wanting to engage in negotiations during the campaign. Siegel reports:

“The Leafs attempted to sign Mitch Marner to a contract extension during the season. The organization chose not to wait and see how the postseason played out.

They wanted Marner to stay. If they had signed him to an eight-year deal, it would have marked the largest contract in franchise history.

He declined.”

As Siegel puts it, “a breakup is almost certainly what’s best for Marner — a chance to start fresh as a star in a quieter market than Toronto, away from the constant scrutiny and free of the baggage that comes with being a Leaf.”

Marner has been dealt a whole lot of pressure in a Leafs’ uniform over the years, especially when they fall early in the postseason. He might be fed up over it, as we heard the displeasure in his voice when he mentioned how it has impacted his family.

“Sometimes the noise you hear is not the one that you want, but that’s how it goes,” he said. “And, yeah, I’m sure my family’s taking it hard, especially being in the crowd for a couple [games].”

Perhaps a fresh start elsewhere is what’s best for Marner, and maybe the offer will be even bigger and more lucrative than the one that he turned down in Toronto…