TORONTO — Before Mitch Marner began what most believe was his final meeting with the press as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, before he cleaned out his locker and set course for his summer of change, he did something unexpected.
Marner publicly thanked a reporter for deleting a tweet sent after Game 7.
The responses to that erased tweet, which stated Marner’s indecisiveness about being a Leaf in 2025-26, weren’t exactly kind. Social media can get toxic in the best of sporting times, so one can imagine the nastiness that bubbles in the fresh frustration of another Game 7 loss.
But at least one response from a fan, using a pseudonym, crossed the line. It treaded toward threat and harassment territory.
Yes, the all-star winger must weigh the usual factors such in his forthcoming free agency — dollars, term, signing bonuses, opportunity to win, tax breaks, coach, role, climate, and the rest — but the new dad must also consider whether he wants to raise his young family in a city in which he is so accessible, where he has become such a polarizing figure.
Athletes sign up for scrutiny. That’s part of the gig. But how has Marner being such a high-profile hometown Leaf impacted his family?
“It’s tough on them,” Marner began Tuesday. “What my wife (Stephanie) and I have done such a good job at over the last couple years is just not focusing on that. You can’t focus on that. There’s so much love and appreciation for yourself and from the fans out there. And just because you don’t hear it, you know it’s still out there.
“Sometimes the noise you hear is not the one that you want. But that’s how it goes. And I’m sure my family’s taking it hard, especially being in the crowd for a couple (lost home playoff games). But that’s how this game of hockey goes, and the passion the city brings is something that you appreciate and love about it.”
Regarding his future, Marner reiterated what he said immediately after Sunday’s elimination to the Florida Panthers: that the agony of defeat is too fresh to consider what sweater he’ll be wearing when he gets his next win.
“Just sucks… I was hoping to be playing a hockey game tonight, and that’s not the outcome,” Marner said. “Haven’t thought of anything. Next coming weeks, I’ll sit down with my wife, and we’ll start talking and trying to figure out what the next steps are.”
That the superstar declined to negotiate with GM Brad Treliving in-season and continues to speak of his Toronto tenure in past tense are tea leaves worth a read.
“I always loved my time here. I’ve loved being here,” he said in reflection. “It’s been amazing. It’s been ups and downs, obviously.
“I mean, you feel the love and the passion of the city, and you’re forever grateful for that. And it’s one of the best cities to live in in the world. And I’ve been forever grateful to not just grow up here but wear this Maple Leaf and be a part of the history and this team.”
Plenty of Marner’s teammates expressed their desire for the 100-point star to return for a 10th run at this thing.
Captain Auston Matthews expressed his love for his “brother” but also noted that, in this business, “he has the right to make his own decision.”
Veteran Max Pacioretty understands, though, the value Marner will bring to a UFA market thin on game-breakers in their prime.
“Teams are always dreaming of having a Mitch Marner on their roster,” said Pacioretty, who extolled Marner’s virtues as a two-way threat.
“You know, if he wasn’t a great player, there wouldn’t be as much noise.”
Tavares makes intentions clear — but doesn’t call the shot
The second most in-demand UFA the Leafs could let walk for nothing is John Tavares, who completed his seven-year, $77-million contract without tasting a conference final but could still improve plenty of clubs’ 2C spot.
“I’m very optimistic that it can work out where I’m back,” Tavares said, after having “positive conversations” with head coach Craig Berube and general manager Brad Treliving about his future Tuesday morning.
Of the Core Four, Tavares was the only one who chose to be a Maple Leaf with so many other options on the table. He understood precisely whom he’d be playing for, and he has no desire to uproot his three young children to chase the maximum payday.
“Everything plays into it. But you want to make something work. You do everything you can to find what works on both sides and what’s fair for myself and my family and for the team,” Tavares said. “I’ve expressed my desire to stay and wanting to make it work.”
As positive as Tavares’s conversations were with Treliving, there is a catch.
Now run by a singular owner, Rogers, which also owns Sportsnet, decisions on the people making roster decisions — on Tavares, Marner, and the rest — are still very much up in the air.
Will president Brendan Shanahan and Treliving both be back? And if not, will a potentially refreshed front office arrive with its own plans for free agents, however beloved?
(Neither Shanahan nor Treliving spoke Tuesday, and no date for a second press conference has been set.)
“I hope they both are here next year,” teammate William Nylander said of Marner and Tavares. “I mean, we lost in a Game 7 against the Stanley Cup champs. I think it’s a pretty good step. We’ve grown together and learned a lot of things. And I think when you have a group that goes through hardships together, it just makes them stronger in the end.”
No offer sheet for Knies
Of the three biggest pending free agents in Toronto, the safest bet to stay put is pending restricted free agent Matthew Knies, who earned a monster raise with a breakout 29-goal, 58-point platform campaign.
The power forward swatted away the notion that he might consider signing an offer sheet this summer if an extension isn’t signed by June 30.
He sounds like a man ready to return the loyalty the Maple Leafs showed him by not packaging him to the Carolina Hurricanes at the trade deadline for early Conn Smythe candidate Mikko Rantanen.
“I want to be here. I want to play here. That’s all that really matters to me,” Knies said, twice.
Why does Knies want to stay so bad?
“I love this group. I love everyone in this locker room,” he replied. “There’s really a chance to win here. I think that there’s the guys in this room to win. And that’s why I think it’s the best chance for me to win.”
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Knies himself will have a loud say in the hopes for progression in 2025-26, as the top-line left wing’s five playoff goals were only bested by Nylander.
Conventional wisdom dictates that when management spots a unique talent of Knies’s calibre, character and size, it aims to lock him up for as many seasons as possible.
Knies, however, said he hasn’t given much consideration yet to whether he’d prefer long-term security or a short-term bridge deal, which would increase his leverage should he continue to produce at a high level.
Berube singled out Knies as the most pleasant surprise all season, and he was a fixture on Marner and Matthews’ first line.
“It was a blast. I was pretty fortunate to play with the two best players in the NHL,” Knies said. “It made my life a lot easier, and getting to learn from those guys was a huge help.
“It was truly a very awesome year with those guys.”
