Marner to Vegas is finally happening

[mr grieves]

In fairness though, I think what is being said was that when Matthews and Nylander were both eligible for extensions, Treliving pretty much said that it’s a priority to get these contracts done.

When Marner was up for renewal, he did not have the same attitude. It very much felt like ‘meh, we’ll see what happens’.

I don’t have exact quotes, but that’s how I remember it going down. And I’m not taking sides here, just re-hashing what the narratives were at the time.

Perhaps he felt he could say that because he knew those players were willing to sign whereas he couldn't with Mitch because he knew he didn't want to be here?

Here's what he said about Nylander being unsigned in October 2023:

I am not going to get into any public discourse. I don’t say that to be rude. I have always found — doing this a long time — that there is no benefit to us to get into a public discourse with respect to Willy or anybody else’s contract.
I have stated publicly that Willy is a star player. He is a big part of our team. We would like to get him signed. I have had lots of discussions with Willy. He loves Toronto. He loves the organization. He loves the city. He loves the fan base. He wants to stay. That is a really good starting point. We’ll try to work through it.
We will continue to work away at it quietly in the background. The focus is going to be on the ice. Between ourselves and Willy’s representatives, we will see if we can continue to move things forward. When there is good news to report, we will make sure we let everybody know.
As we prepare for tomorrow night, all of our focus — and Willy’s focus — is on the ice. The business stuff will continue to work out.

And then on Mitch, it's a lot of the same stuff...

One the hockey side of it, he is, as he should've been, much more effusive: not that he's a star player, but superstar player; not that he's a big part of the team, but he's put it on his back and is a superstar in the whole league. Every time he's asked about Mitch he starts and ends with special, special player.

On the getting Mitch signed part of it, he says the usual we don't talk about that in the media and everyone's focus is on the ice/season/etc.... but what he never says is that they're going to get him signed or that he loves the fanbase and being here. That all seems to have been pretty accurate! And if his reps aren't engaging in any contract negotiations, then it doesn't make much sense to say re-signing the player is your sole priority.

 

[Joe S.]

Perhaps he felt he could say that because he knew those players were willing to sign whereas he couldn't with Mitch because he knew he didn't want to be here?

Here's what he said about Nylander being unsigned in October 2023:

I am not going to get into any public discourse. I don’t say that to be rude. I have always found — doing this a long time — that there is no benefit to us to get into a public discourse with respect to Willy or anybody else’s contract.
I have stated publicly that Willy is a star player. He is a big part of our team. We would like to get him signed. I have had lots of discussions with Willy. He loves Toronto. He loves the organization. He loves the city. He loves the fan base. He wants to stay. That is a really good starting point. We’ll try to work through it.
We will continue to work away at it quietly in the background. The focus is going to be on the ice. Between ourselves and Willy’s representatives, we will see if we can continue to move things forward. When there is good news to report, we will make sure we let everybody know.
As we prepare for tomorrow night, all of our focus — and Willy’s focus — is on the ice. The business stuff will continue to work out.

And then on Mitch, it's a lot of the same stuff...

One the hockey side of it, he is, as he should've been, much more effusive: not that he's a star player, but superstar player; not that he's a big part of the team, but he's put it on his back and is a superstar in the whole league. Every time he's asked about Mitch he starts and ends with special, special player.

On the getting Mitch signed part of it, he says the usual we don't talk about that in the media and everyone's focus is on the ice/season/etc.... but what he never says is that they're going to get him signed or that he loves the fanbase and being here. That all seems to have been pretty accurate! And if his reps aren't engaging in any contract negotiations, then it doesn't make much sense to say re-signing the player is your sole priority.

Thx - and I think this is kind of making my point.

With nylander and Matthews, Treliving’s messaging was that the priority was to get them extended. But have a read here:

How aggressive do Maple Leafs want to push Mitch Marner trade?

It's not so much what Brad Treliving said about Mitchell Marner's future with the Toronto Maple Leafs this week — it's what he didn't say, writes Luke Fox.

www.sportsnet.ca

The tone was completely different. Nothing about prioritizing an extension. Again, to me it really felt like he was saying ‘whatever happens, happens’.

 

[herman]

anyone remember how much heat Willy was getting for holding out and playing like absolute crap and how out of shape he was after the first contract

Whoa whoa whoa, he played like crap after holding out, but it wasn’t because he was out of shape; he was behind on game speed and also a bit slower on his skates because he got too jacked from only working out without the calorie burn of playing games (per Auston Matthews)

 

[bustaheims]

Pr

Thx - and I think this is kind of making my point.

With nylander and Matthews, Treliving’s messaging was that the priority was to get them extended. But have a read here:

How aggressive do Maple Leafs want to push Mitch Marner trade?

It's not so much what Brad Treliving said about Mitchell Marner's future with the Toronto Maple Leafs this week — it's what he didn't say, writes Luke Fox.

www.sportsnet.ca

The tone was completely different. Nothing about prioritizing an extension. Again, to me it really felt like he was saying ‘whatever happens, happens’.

Probably not a coincidence that those quotes came shortly after a meeting with Ferris. Treliving could clearly read the tea leaves there.

 

[mr grieves]

Thx - and I think this is kind of making my point.

With nylander and Matthews, Treliving’s messaging was that the priority was to get them extended. But have a read here:

How aggressive do Maple Leafs want to push Mitch Marner trade?

It's not so much what Brad Treliving said about Mitchell Marner's future with the Toronto Maple Leafs this week — it's what he didn't say, writes Luke Fox.

www.sportsnet.ca

The tone was completely different. Nothing about prioritizing an extension. Again, to me it really felt like he was saying ‘whatever happens, happens’.

Which, to me, sounds like a guy who already knows the player isn't going to re-sign. We don't have much insight into what goes on behind the scenes--Treliving is pretty adamant about not detailing negotiations in public--but it looks to me like Marner's camp knew he wasn't coming back to the Leafs before the Treliving did, and the team's fans were the last figure it out.

 

[Joe S.]

Yup. Agree with both of you.