Not ready to negotiate
Marner’s agent says he will start serious discussions with Maple Leafs at season’s end
TORONTO - The agent representing Mitch Marner says the slick forward will negotiate a new deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs at season’s end.
The Leafs have reached new deals with forwards William Nylander and Auston Matthews already this season.
After a holdout, Nylander signed a six-year, Us$41.77million contract while Matthews reached a five-year, $58.17-million extension Tuesday.
So now the Leafs can look to locking up Marner, their 21-year-old scoring leader (20 goals, 43 assists). Last year, Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas stated he “can and will” sign Nylander, Matthews and Marner.
Darren Ferris, Marner’s agent, said while he and Leafs management have kept in contact throughout the season, the two sides will begin formal contract negotiations once the 2018-19 campaign is done.
“Neither I nor Mitch wanted any distractions during the playing season,” Ferris said on Wednesday. “This team, I believe, has a chance to win the Stanley Cup.
“Things are going in the right direction, we’re not far off. Everything has been positive. The market will dictate the market at that time.”
Toronto selected the six-foot, 175-pound right-winger with its first pick, No. 4 overall, in the 2015 NHL draft.
In 211 career games, the native of Markham, Ont., has accumulated 193 points (61 goals, 132 assists).
“We’re respecting the wishes of Darren,” Dubas said Tuesday. “If they were to change their stance on it, then we’re open to that. But for right now, we’ll respect their wishes and we’ll carry on with the season here.
“When they’re ready to sit down, we’ll talk. He (Marner) is going to be a Toronto Maple Leaf for a long time, regardless of how we have to come to that.”
Ferris said the Leafs tabled a low offer last summer but added that’s standard practice at that time of year.
On Tuesday, Ferris told The Toronto Star the Leafs had been trying “to lowball” his client in previous negotiations.
“I think that was taken out of context,” Ferris said, again referring to Toronto’s offer last summer. “This was a discussion that was about the summer ... where offers are low, which is a normal course of business.
“Since that event, there’s been discussions, there’s been positive dialogue. We weren’t far off when we left and we last ended on a positive note. Everything was good and we agreed, ‘Hey, let’s wait until the end of the season.”’
Marner reiterated that Wednesday.
“I grew up here, this is a place I’ve loved being a part of the past two years and hopefully for many more going forward,” he told reporters. “There’s really no rush for anyone and I think the Leafs know that as well.
“A deal is going to get done eventually. It’s nothing to rush upon.”
Added Toronto head coach Mike Babcock: “Mitch is lifetime Leaf.”
Ferris said he and the Leafs have spoken throughout the season, which again, he added, is standard practice.
“We’ve continued throughout the year to have some constructive discussions, not negotiating, about the marketplace,” he said. “Even though you’re not negotiating a contract at that point, we’re going to have some playful banter, we’re going to have a little bit of back and fourth and a poke here and there.
“It’s not like we shook hands, see you later and we’ll talk at the end of the year. That’s not what happens and I think it gets taken out of context. Things are going in the right direction and we’re not far off. Again, the market will dictate the market at that time and I’m sure there will be continued banter back and forth between us and them.”