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.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

Like Marner is the only guy Babcock ever did anything to, Marners is just the one we know of that became very public. What a surprise. He was also fired after that and essentially blacklisted from NHL coaching for years. Using that as ammo for not re-signing after multiple coaches? Please.

And does 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 or are we going to retcon that too? Did Willy hold it against the team and fans for not providing value on his contract? When you that level of self interested focus then it really does look like the world is out to get you.

That's great and all, but you missed my point. I said that it's not just one thing that they have a beef with. OR apparently have a beef with. That is all.


And really, I'm not sure what Nylander's reaction to his situation has to do with Marner's reaction to the situation he's in.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

The team didn’t blame Marner for every playoff loss.

Again, the “contract not prioritized” stuff is incredibly silly. Matthews and Nylander’s deals were up at the end of 2024. They had to be prioritized before Marner. They couldn’t even sign Marner to an extension at that time to begin with. How this is an example of a “constant stream” of stuff from the team is crazy.

I should have specified in that case it wasn't "the team".

And I'm not really arguing that he was right to react the way he has. Or he's perceived to have reacted. He was done with how he was being treated. OR how he perceived he was treated. And he wanted out. I'm not sure why we need to continue to spin in this toilet bowl.

 

[mr grieves]

I'm not sure why we need to continue to spin in this toilet bowl.

Because the free agent market sucks and we got no picks!

Just to get that turd the rest of the way down,
here are the media availabilities from the locker cleanout day immediately before each could re-sign with the team. Marner’s been excerpted here before, as evidence that he announced his intention to sign a long-term contract, but, comparing his answers to those players who did sign such extensions, i see it differently.



WILLY

Q: There’s lots of talk about change for this team. How much do you want to be back and sort of bring the band back together and give it another run?

A: Ah look I love it here, I don’t want to be anywhere else, and this is where I want to win. And I want us to give a go as long as we can.

[…]

Q: Willy, last time you were eligible to sign a contract extension it took a long time. Are you eager to get a jump start on that this summer with whoever [garbled]?

A: I have a full year, and uhm I mean obviously I want to stay here and my uh it would be nice to if we could sort that out but um I mean the season just ended and I’m not really too focused about that I just want to come back here for next year and be ready to go”



AUSTON

Q: Has the team shown enough for you to want to be here long-term?

A: Yeah, of course. My intention is to be here. I think I have [reiterated] that before how much I enjoy playing here and what it means to me — the organization, my teammates, and how much I enjoy being here.

Q: How important is it to get the contract done before next season?

A: I think it is important. It will all kind of work itself out in due time. It will go from there. As far as everything else goes, as I have said before, I really do enjoy playing here. It is a true honour. The work that we are putting into continuing to strive for that end result is extremely motivating.



MITCH

Q: Mitch, when do you start contemplating a contract extension [garbled] those kinds of things start to happen?

A: Um I’m sure within probably the next week or so I’ll start really kind of thinking about that and hitting me um but obviously at this moment I mean I haven’t thought about it at all it’s um you obviously just focus on playing and being in part of the moment and you know that will come up now probably within the next week or so.

Q: Do you want to be in Toronto long term?

A: Yeah I mean that’d be a goal. I’ve expressed my love for this place, the city, obviously I’ve grown up here so um you know we’ll start thinking about that now and you know trying to figure something out.

Q: What does it mean to be a Maple Leaf?

A: It means the world. Obviously we’re looked upon as a kind of gods here to be honest. You know something that you really appreciate and the love you get from this fanbase, this attention, is kind of none like any other. You saw with the Raps couple years ago and the love they still have for a couple players they had to trade off this year. That’s kind of the love you want.




We can judge how eager Treliving sounded about signing Marner compared to the other two; we can also compare, as I’m sure the team did, how the players expressed their desires to stay.

I hear two guys who want to stay and win in Toronto, and one who’s looking ahead to maybe being remembered fondly after winning a championship in his last season with the team.