While the final days of his Toronto Maple Leafs career turned somewhat ugly, Mitch Marner still kept Auston Matthews and the rest of the team in mind. According to his agent, Darren Ferris, Marner was gracious toward his childhood NHL club when making his final decision to part ways.
It was an inevitable decision. Everyone in Toronto—and across the continent—knew Marner’s days with the Leafs were numbered. The writing was on the wall. The only question was whether he’d be traded or leave as an unrestricted free agent (UFA).
Ultimately, Marner chose to ensure the team that drafted him got something in return, going against his agent’s preference for testing the open market. Despite tensions between Leafs Nation and Marner, Matthews’ sidekick refused to slip out the back door. Yet, he didn’t exactly walk out the front, either.
“I wanted that to go to free agency and do the whole dog and pony show, but he didn’t want to do it,” Ferris admitted, via the 100% Hockey Podcast. “I was all set to do it, but we did end up getting a result that he’s happy with”.
Quick refreshing
Immediately after Matthews, Marner, and the Leafs were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, chaos erupted in Hogtown. Previous playoff exits had sparked plenty of buzz, but this time felt different. With Marner’s contract set to expire on July 1st, the entire NHL was on tenterhooks awaiting his decision.
The wildest ideas surfaced, ranging from contract extensions to blockbuster trades. In the end, the outcome landed somewhere in between. Marner signed a new deal with the Maple Leafs—only for Toronto to use it to complete a swap with the Vegas Golden Knights. In return, Nicholas Roy joined the Leafs, while Marner pledged his allegiance to the Knights.
Mind made up
Fans in Toronto weren’t thrilled to learn Marner had already been envisioning a life outside Ontario before the 2024-25 NHL season came to an end. However, that’s been hinted by many, including Marner’s agent.
“He heard directly from other players about Vegas and how they treat the players and their families too. And once he knew that, his mind was made up at the end of the season,” Ferris added.
“From my perspective as an agent, I would have preferred him to go through the full process, sit down with multiple teams, and explore every option. But for him, it was clear he didn’t want to go through that ‘dog and pony show’ or go to free agency when he already knew where he wanted to be.“
SURVEY Knowing Marner preferred a trade over leaving as a free agent, does it change your view of him?
Knowing Marner preferred a trade over leaving as a free agent, does it change your view of him?
already voted 25 fans
Time can feel subjective. While Ferris insists his client didn’t make up his mind until the season was over, Leafs fans remain skeptical. Who’s to say Marner’s head was fully with the Buds during that seven-game series against the Cats? Regardless, there was little doubt his time in The Six had been running out long before the Panthers dismantled Toronto in a win-or-go-home Game 7 at Scotiabank Arena.