Mitch Marner, Toronto’s beloved forward, is entering the final year of his massive $65.41 million contract, and the rumor mill is churning. NHL insider Frank Seravalli predicts the Leafs won’t extend him, and Marner will walk as a 2025 free agent. “Mitch Marner will headline the crop of 2025 Free Agents. The Leafs will be moving in a different direction next offseason, forced to finally act on foundation-shaking changes,” Seravalli boldly claims.
Marner, however, isn’t ready to pack his bags just yet. “I’ve expressed my love for this place, this city. I’ve grown up here… It means the world to me,” he said earlier this year. Still, as the Leafs look to shake things up after years of playoff disappointments, his future in Toronto hangs in the balance.
With 85 points in 69 games last season, Marner’s on-ice prowess is undeniable, but will it be enough to keep him in Toronto blue? The Leafs’ offseason moves—adding veterans like Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz—show a shift in direction. Both players signed one-year deals and have expressed their excitement to join the squad.
As the Leafs prepare to kick off the 2024-25 season, the question remains: Will Marner stay, or will Toronto finally make the “foundation-shaking” change everyone’s been waiting for?
