The focus of Mitch Marner and his Toronto Maple Leafs teammates is on the upcoming Stanley Cup playoffs.
However, the 28-year-old's future in Toronto remains the subject of ongoing conjecture.
Marner is slated to become a UFA on July 1. The gifted two-way right winger will be the biggest name available if he tests the market, where teams will await waiving lucrative long-term contracts.
Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun believes Marner faces a simple choice: spend the rest of his playing career with the Maple Leafs skating alongside Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies or head to the market and take his chances elsewhere.
Simmons noted that Knies is an RFA this summer, suggesting the Leafs will sign him first to avoid the threat of an offer sheet. He believes the better Knies plays, the easier it will be for the Leafs to part ways with Marner.
TSN's Chris Johnston reported the Leafs consider re-signing Knies a priority. However, he doubted there's much threat of an offer sheet, citing their plentiful cap space and the winger's disinterest in signing with another club.
Returning to Marner, the Leafs' performance in this spring's post-season could determine his future in Toronto. Another disappointing early exit from the playoffs could lead to significant changes in the Leafs' front office and roster.
If Marner goes to market, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic believes he would be a terrific fit with the St. Louis Blues. He'd be reunited with his old junior linemate Robert Thomas, giving the Blues a terrific one-two scoring punch.
Rutherford acknowledged signing Marner would be expensive, given he'd be the premier player in the market. He believes signing him would cost an average annual value of $14 million.
That's well beyond the $7.146 million of projected cap space that the Blues carry for next season. Unless GM Doug Armstrong sheds a lot of salary, he won't be bidding for Marner this summer.
Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.