Marner contemplating future with Maple Leafs, staying 'would be a goal'

TORONTO -- While Mitch Marner contends with another early exit from the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Toronto Maple Leafs, he also is facing the need to consider something he never has had to concern himself with coming off previous seasons.

His future with the team.

Marner has one season remaining on a six-year, $65.358 million contract ($10.9 million average annual value) he signed Sept. 13, 2019. He hopes that future in Toronto is long term.

"That would be a goal," Marner said. "I've expressed my love for this place, this city. Obviously, I've grown up here. We'll start thinking about that now and try to figure something out."

The forward can become an unrestricted free agent after next season and had 85 points (26 goals, 59 assists) in 69 games this season, but a goal and two assists in a seven-game loss to the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference First Round. The Maple Leafs have won one round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (2023) since Marner joined the NHL in 2016-17, and it sounded like he realizes change could be coming.

"[Being a Maple Leaf] means the world," Marner said. "Obviously we're looked upon [highly] here, to be honest, and something that you really appreciate. The love that you get here from this fan base and this attention is none like any other. You saw with the (NBA's Toronto) Raptors a couple years ago, the love [fans] still have for a lot of those players (who helped them win a championship in 2019) that they had to trade off this year. That's the love you want."

Since Game 5 of the 2023 first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Maple Leafs have scored more than two goals only once in 14 playoff games, Game 2 of the opening round this season. The power play went 1-for-21 against the Bruins.

"It [stinks]," Marner said. "Regardless, from this year to last year, it's all the same pain. It's never fun going home this early. It never gets easier."

Marner's production, like that of his teammates, dropped off in the playoffs, leading to criticism amongst many in the fan base.

"I think he is an amazing human and a great hockey player," Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly said, "so any heat or anything like that I believe would be undeserved."

Rielly, 30, is the Maple Leafs' longest-tenured player who just concluded his 11th season. He said of all the early exits since 2017, this one has hit him hardest. He was on the ice when Bruins forward David Pastrnak cut past him in the slot and scored to win Game 7.

"Partly because of Game 7 overtime, partly being on the ice for the goal, partly age," Rielly said. "I think every year gets more challenging.

"At this point, we are in a wonderful position where anything other than a championship is a disappointment. We are lucky to be in that position, but it makes anything other than that very difficult and very challenging for the group on many levels."

Center Auston Matthews, who led the NHL with 69 goals in 81 games and the Maple Leafs with 107 points, had a goal and three assists in the best-of-7 first round. He did not play the third period of Game 4 and missed Games 5 and 6 before returning for Game 7.

"I got really, really sick after Game 2," Matthews said. "Played in Game 3, just kind of going through that still trying to recover going into Game 4. Took a weird hit and couldn't go any longer, but that's as detailed as I'm going to get into it. It was tough, really frustrating. It [stinks] and was killing me to watch."

Goalie Ilya Samsonov, who can be an unrestricted free agent July 1, expressed a desire to return, but after two consecutive one-year contracts, said he is looking for some degree of term, or as he put it, "stability." Pending UFA forwards Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi are also open to coming back, but the players understand that the Maple Leafs will never be the same.

Change is coming. The question is to what degree? Though Matthews is under contract the next four seasons, forward William Nylander for eight and Rielly for six, captain John Tavares will enter the final season of a seven-year contract ($11 million AAV).

"I don't want to stand here and try to tell you we are on the doorstep of anything because we are sitting here today doing this," Rielly said. "But the belief is there, that it is attainable, but there is work and improvement that has to take place.

"So how close are we? I don't know, we will see. It feels both attainable and a ways' away, and that's what drives you as an individual. That's what drives a team forward to either have success or we will see."