If Mitch Marner wants to be, he can be the most sought-after free agent in the NHL this offseason.
It’s up to him whether he wants to re-commit to the Toronto Maple Leafs or instead test the open market.
A frustrating Game 7 defeat on Sunday to the Florida Panthers, in which the Leafs were blitzed 6-1, might not help the cause for Marner staying home.
One midgame rant by Marner, with a few spicy words included, showed just how frustrated he was.
Marner is FUMING after the Leafs allowed 3 unanswered goals 🤬pic.twitter.com/xZxQLcftEP
— Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) May 19, 2025
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To be fair to Marner, the Leafs had just allowed three goals in less than eight minutes in a clash that would decide whether their season ended on Sunday or not. He was right to be ticked.
It’s the curse of the Maple Leafs at this point, an inability to come through in elimination games or in Game 7s. It’s a big part of the reason they haven’t won the Stanley Cup in more than 50 years.
Marner has seen this before and might fear he’ll see this again if he sticks around.
As one of the best two-way players in hockey, Marner deserves the chance to skate on the NHL’s biggest stages.
And on Sunday, as Marner experienced firsthand, it’s not clear whether the Maple Leafs can ever overcome all their demons to get there themselves.
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