Again, as I mentioned a few days ago, there is a reason why Mitch Marner is referred to as “one of” the Maple Leafs’ best pieces. It’s because he isn’t their top player. Sorry. With this negotiation saga dragging into yet another month, it’s high time we all started living in the real world and recognized Marner for what he is: a very talented young player with a ton of potential. But that’s it.
Entering the offseason as perhaps the most universally-beloved Maple Leaf since Wendel Clark, the strategy Marner has taken to dictate the terms of his new contract has now made into a pariah.