As the Mitch Marner and Toronto Maple Leafs saga stretches into the NHL offseason, much talk has surrounded the potential destinations for the star winger in Toronto. However, a recent report has taken one of the biggest candidates off the board.
Marner is coming off a disappointing showing in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs—particularly in the second round, where the Maple Leafs once again fell short of expectations. Still, the 28-year-old is set to enter free agency as the most sought-after player in the league, with several teams reportedly willing to overpay to ensure he dons their sweater.
The Maple Leafs are exploring their every option before making a final decision on their former 4th overall selection in the 2015 NHL entry Draft. Yet it seems highly unlikely their joint story will extend into the 2025-26 campaign. The writing’s on the wall in Toronto, and Marner is expected to start all over again in a different city next season.
Several candidates have emerged from across the continent. The Vegas Golden Knights are considered one of the heavy favorites to land Marner, with the Los Angeles Kings also believed to be in the mix—at least until a recent report ruled out their candidacy.
Mitchell Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs reacts after a missed change during a 3-0 Leafs win over the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena on January 02, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
According to Elite Prospects insider Cam Robinson, the noise surrounding Los Angeles and Marner was nothing but a false alarm. “One source close to the ground floor on the situation had this to say on Los Angeles being the front-runner, ‘That Marner to LA report is pure rubbish,’“ Robinson said.
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Exciting ‘Plan B’
Marner might have made up his mind about leaving Toronto ahead of next season, but the Maple Leafs aren’t giving up on their star player just yet. At the very least, they’re not standing idly by as he prepares to pack his bags.
Instead, Toronto may be considering re-signing Marner to a long-term extension with the hope of trading him to another franchise. However, Marner reportedly wouldn’t be sent just anywhere.
“There’s real smoke that the Florida Panthers could be gearing up to make a run at Marner. Word is that Toronto has opened the door to a sign-and-trade scenario, where they ink Marner to a max-term extension (eight years) and then flip him to recoup some level of value,” Robinson said about the Maple Leafs’ potential alternate plan to Marner’s all but assured departure.
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Silver lining
If the Leafs actually manage to pull off the move, they would at least be getting something in return for parting ways with Marner—a welcome outcome, as most fans in Toronto are already coming to terms with the possibility that Marner might walk out the door leaving nothing behind.
