Report: Maple Leafs Will Wait For a Favorable Offer Before Asking Mitch Marner to Waive His No-Move Clause for a Trade
In his latest column, Postmedia's Steve Simmons says the Leafs will let every other NHL club know they are in trade mode, but a conversation with Marner won't happen until there is a good deal in front of them.
Mitch Marner controls his destiny thanks to a no-movement clause that kicked in on the remainder of his existing contract on July 1, 2023. That said, the volume of speculation behind the star forward's future grows louder and lower as the offseason continues to move along.
In his latest Sunday notes column, Postmedia's Steve Simmons reports that the Maple Leafs will not ask Marner to waive his no-movement clause even though the club has "serious interest" in dealing him.
What happens if the Leafs get an offer on Marner they like?
"If one of the offers meets their needs, then — and only then — will they involve Marner in the process and try to convince him why it’s in his best interest to look elsewhere," Simmons says.
This messaging is consistent with what Treliving told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun at the combine earlier this week,
“Mitch controls a lot of this whole thing. If there’s a way to make our team better, we’re going to do it. But we’re certainly not going to make a trade just so we can pound our chest and say, ‘Look, we’re different.'" Treliving said.
There is also comments from Marner's agent, Darren Ferris who made it clear that his client intends to play out his contract in Toronto.
Certainly, this process will not be easy. And there will be a lot of buck-passing around if and when the Maple Leafs do get an intriguing enough offer for Marner.
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It's clear Treliving wants to address issues he's identified with his club after one season at the helm as GM. Getting a solid return for an elite point producer alone is difficult enough, but convincing him to go willingly is a next-level challenge that could be scrutinized for some time yet.
In his eight seasons with the Leafs, Marner has 639 points in 576 regular season games. Whatever the haul, it's got to be good.
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